Business Quote by Bernard Williams
“If we try and fail, we have temporary disappointments. But if we do not try at all, we have permanent regrets.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophical essay, 1970s
Contrasts temporary disappointment from trying with permanent regret from never trying; encourages action.
In simple terms: Trying leads to temporary setbacks, not trying leads to regret.
Key Takeaway
Take action despite fear of failure.
Themes
risk
regret
action
Mood
motivational
cautious
Type
philosophical
advice
When to use this quote
- career decisions
- personal goals
- entrepreneurship
Key Concepts
ethics
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What risks are worth taking?
- How do you measure regret vs. failure?
A Different Perspective
May ignore realistic constraints.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)