---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of…"
description: "\"Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure. Have the courage to test your assumptions.\" — Brian Tracy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/brian-tracy-216_assumption_incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of_1176008.jpg"
---

#  Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure…

![“Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure. Have the courage to test your assumptions.” quote by Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/brian-tracy-216_assumption_incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of_1176008.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/brian-tracy-216_assumption_incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of_1176008.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/brian-tracy-216_assumption_incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of_1176008.jpg)

> “Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure. Have the courage to test your assumptions.”

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Assumptions cause failure; testing them requires courage.

**In simple terms:** Assumptions lead to failure; test them.

Key Takeaway

Challenge your assumptions regularly.

Themes

critical thinking growth courage

Mood

analytical determined

Type

self‑help business

When to use this quote

- business strategy
- personal development
- scientific research

Key Concepts

cognitive bias risk assessment

Questions to Reflect On

- What assumptions are you most hesitant to test?
- How can you safely experiment with them?

A Different Perspective

Testing assumptions can be time‑consuming.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) [Assumptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumptions/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/)

## Related quotes

> [Many people assume that they can probably find many ways to save time. This is an incorrect assumption for it is only when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-merrill/many-people-assume-that-they-can-probably-find-many-ways-to-save-time/)

[Douglas Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-merrill/)

> [You cannot reach a correct conclusion if you begin with an incorrect assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-w-armstrong/you-cannot-reach-a-correct-conclusion-if-you-begin-with-an-incorrect/)

[Herbert W. Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-w-armstrong/)

> [“Pursuing a bigger purpose in your life will demand fearing regret more than failure. Courage is the price that life exacts for living a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margie-warrell/pursuing-a-bigger-purpose-in-your-life-will-demand-fearing-regret/)

[Margie Warrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margie-warrell/)

> [To bear failure with courage is the best proof of character that anyone can give... You will find that people forget the failures of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/to-bear-failure-with-courage-is-the-best-proof-of-character-that-2/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [To bear failure with courage is the best proof of character that anyone can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/to-bear-failure-with-courage-is-the-best-proof-of-character-that/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [Excelling at chess has long been considered a symbol of more general intelligence. That is an incorrect assumption in my view, as pleasant as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/excelling-at-chess-has-long-been-considered-a-symbol-of-more-general/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [Victory is not final. Defeat is not failure. It's all about courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/victory-is-not-final-defeat-is-not-failure-it-s-all-about-courage/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [There's a profound price to the incorrect assumption that LGBTQ movements are white, male and wealthy. That is not a good thing to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/there-s-a-profound-price-to-the-incorrect-assumption-that-lgbtq/)

[Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/)

> [We do not realize how deeply our starting assumptions affect the way we go about looking for and interpreting the data we collect. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-savage-rumbaugh/we-do-not-realize-how-deeply-our-starting-assumptions-affect-the-way/)

[Sue Savage-Rumbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-savage-rumbaugh/)

> [ We \[MIT Smart Cities research group\] try to identify the fundamental underlying design assumptions that everybody takes as a sort of given and unchallengeable… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-mitchell/we-mit-smart-cities-research-group-try-to-identify-the-fundamental/)

[William J. Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-mitchell/)

> [Interrogate yours hidden assumptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/interrogate-yours-hidden-assumptions/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [Trust your gut instinct over spreadsheets. There are too many variables in the real world that you simply can't put into a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/trust-your-gut-instinct-over-spreadsheets-there-are-too-many/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [It is true that classical libertarian thought is opposed to state intervention in social life, as a consequence of deeper assumptions about the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-is-true-that-classical-libertarian-thought-is-opposed-to-state/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [One thing that irritates me is when people kind of make assumptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/one-thing-that-irritates-me-is-when-people-kind-of-make-assumptions/)

[Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/)

> [The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-explanation-requiring-the-fewest-assumptions-is-most-likely-to-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Brian Tracy

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [According to the best research, less than 3% of Americans have written goals, and less than 1% review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/according-to-the-best-research-less-than-3-of-americans-have-written/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [“Rumi says: ‘die before you die’. It means live each moment fully. Then, when the moment dies, there is no pain or regret because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/rumi-says-die-before-you-die-it-means-live-each-moment-fully-then/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [One of the most important rules for success is this: Every great success is the result of hundreds and thousands of small efforts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/one-of-the-most-important-rules-for-success-is-this-every-great/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/almost-any-decision-is-better-than-no-decision-at-all/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Spend unbroken chunks of time with the most important people in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/spend-unbroken-chunks-of-time-with-the-most-important-people-in-your/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [The effective leader recognizes that she is more dependent on her people than they are on her. Walk softly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/the-effective-leader-recognizes-that-she-is-more-dependent-on-her/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Develop a mentor at each stage of your career - someone who will give you guidance and advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/develop-a-mentor-at-each-stage-of-your-career-someone-who-will-give/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I believe each person has far more intelligence than they have ever used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-believe-each-person-has-far-more-intelligence-than-they-have-ever/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Our mind is the most valuable possession that we have. The quality of our lives is, and will be, a reflection of how well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/our-mind-is-the-most-valuable-possession-that-we-have-the-quality-of/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Intense, burning desire is the motivational force that enables you to overcome any obstacle and achieve almost any goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/intense-burning-desire-is-the-motivational-force-that-enables-you-to/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Any system or blueprint for success is better than none at all. Think on paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/any-system-or-blueprint-for-success-is-better-than-none-at-all-think/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Being true to yourself means living in truth with each person in your life. It means refusing to say or do something that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/being-true-to-yourself-means-living-in-truth-with-each-person-in-your/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [The happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/the-happiest-people-in-the-world-are-those-who-feel-absolutely/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [The value of a promise is the cost to you of keeping your word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/the-value-of-a-promise-is-the-cost-to-you-of-keeping-your-word/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

[Explore all 882 Brian Tracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

## More Assumption quotes

> [Next to the assumption of power was the responsibility of relinquishing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/next-to-the-assumption-of-power-was-the-responsibility-of/)

[Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/)

> [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/)

[Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/)

> [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/)

[Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/)

> [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/)

Richard Doll

> [Fortunately, the mind is restless; when it uncovers a layer of its own deception, gives up an illusion, exposes a lie, it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-chernin/fortunately-the-mind-is-restless-when-it-uncovers-a-layer-of-its-own/)

[Kim Chernin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-chernin/)

> [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/)

[Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/)

> [She spent hours drawing on her own, trying to perfect her craft. And when she got into music, she had that same diligence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-joplin/she-spent-hours-drawing-on-her-own-trying-to-perfect-her-craft-and/)

[Laura Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-joplin/)

> [If they are, then the only ultimate truths are the particulars of concrete experience, and no postulate or general assumption is inherent in science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-wright/if-they-are-then-the-only-ultimate-truths-are-the-particulars-of/)

[Chauncey Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-wright/)

> [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [Leadership, pure and simple, is the assumption of responsibility for the pursuit of excellence in group life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-selznick/leadership-pure-and-simple-is-the-assumption-of-responsibility-for/)

Philip Selznick

> [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/)

[Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/)

> [When I see a fan coming over, I can't help but make an assumption about what they want to talk about. A middle-aged American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/when-i-see-a-fan-coming-over-i-can-t-help-but-make-an-assumption/)

[Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/)

> [The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/the-bell-curve-is-a-fact-of-life-the-blacks-on-average-score-85-per/)

[Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/)

> [Pussy Riot have certainly changed some people's assumptions about the role of political art and the relationship between the intelligentsia and the church. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/pussy-riot-have-certainly-changed-some-people-s-assumptions-about-the/)

[Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/)

[Browse all 1,277 Assumption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure. Have the courage to test your assumptions.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Brian Tracy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of-every-failure-have-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Assumption"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of-every-failure-have-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/brian-tracy-216_assumption_incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of_1176008.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/brian-tracy-216_assumption_incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of_1176008.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/579/brian-tracy-216_assumption_incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of_1176008.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure. Have the courage to test your assumptions.” — Brian Tracy",
                "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": "Brian Tracy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Incorrect assumptions lie at the root...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of-every-failure-have-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/incorrect-assumptions-lie-at-the-root-of-every-failure-have-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
