--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only real failure in life is not to…" description: "\"The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/anonymous-1_failure_the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to_785682.jpg" --- # The only real failure in life is not to be true to the… ![“The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/anonymous-1_failure_the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to_785682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/anonymous-1_failure_the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to_785682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/anonymous-1_failure_the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to_785682.jpg) > “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that the greatest failure is betraying one's own best judgment or values. **In simple terms:** Failing to follow your best knowledge is the real failure. Key Takeaway Stay true to your best understanding. Themes integrity self‑trust authenticity Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - decision making - leadership - personal growth - conflict resolution Key Concepts ethical consistency personal integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you determine your best knowledge? - What prevents you from acting on it? A Different Perspective It may be hard to know what your "best one knows" truly is. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-in-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“The only real failure in life is giving up. On looking back let it stand to our credit in life's balance sheet that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-giving-up-on-looking-back-let-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only real failure in life is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-the-failure-to-try/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is only one real failure in life that is possible, and that is, not to be true to the best one knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-william-farrar/there-is-only-one-real-failure-in-life-that-is-possible-and-that-is/) Frederic William Farrar > [The only real failure in life is one not learned from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-j-d-angelo/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-one-not-learned-from/) [Anthony J. D'Angelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-j-d-angelo/) > [The biggest failure in life is when we quit without knowing how close we were to the finish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-biggest-failure-in-life-is-when-we-quit-without-knowing-how-close/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously, that you might as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/some-failure-in-life-is-inevitable-it-is-impossible-to-live-without/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [No man who has managed to keep out of an office can be called a failure in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-aldington/no-man-who-has-managed-to-keep-out-of-an-office-can-be-called-a/) [Richard Aldington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-aldington/) > [If you want to know whether you are destined to be a success or a failure in life, you can easily find out. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-j-hill/if-you-want-to-know-whether-you-are-destined-to-be-a-success-or-a/) [James J. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-j-hill/) > [“With one failure in life, you shouldn't put your dreams on the back burner. Trust and believe that you'll have more failures in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-m-edwards/with-one-failure-in-life-you-shouldn-t-put-your-dreams-on-the-back/) [Marcia M Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-m-edwards/) > [As a musician, you kinda get used to failure in life, and then when things actually start succeeding, it's a very interesting feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/as-a-musician-you-kinda-get-used-to-failure-in-life-and-then-when/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [A man who has never made a woman angry is a failure in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/a-man-who-has-never-made-a-woman-angry-is-a-failure-in-life/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [In the place of failure in life, it does not exist unless an individual gives up on its future achievement therefore failure does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justice-ogali/in-the-place-of-failure-in-life-it-does-not-exist-unless-an/) [Justice Ogali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justice-ogali/) > [There is only one failure in life possible, and that is not to be true to the best one knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-is-only-one-failure-in-life-possible-and-that-is-not-to-be-true/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The greatest failure in life is the failure to participate in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-khoo/the-greatest-failure-in-life-is-the-failure-to-participate-in-life/) Adam Khoo > [There is but one failure in life and that is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/there-is-but-one-failure-in-life-and-that-is-the-failure-to-try/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to-be-true-to-the-best-one-knows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to-be-true-to-the-best-one-knows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/anonymous-1_failure_the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to_785682.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/anonymous-1_failure_the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to_785682.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/anonymous-1_failure_the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to_785682.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only real failure in life...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to-be-true-to-the-best-one-knows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to-be-true-to-the-best-one-knows/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```