--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But then again, I was pretty certain I'd…" description: "\"“But then again, I was pretty certain I'd make more mistakes, so I didn't dwell on the one I'd just made too long. This is another thing I'll put in my..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/brock-clarke-11266_failure_but-then-again-i-was-pretty-certain-i-d_1519505.jpg" --- # But then again, I was pretty certain I'd make more… ![“But then again, I was pretty certain I'd make more mistakes, so I didn't dwell on the one I'd just made too long. This is another thing I'll put in my arsonist's guide: if you make a mistake, don't dwell on it too long, because you'll make more of them.” quote by Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/brock-clarke-11266_failure_but-then-again-i-was-pretty-certain-i-d_1519505.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/brock-clarke-11266_failure_but-then-again-i-was-pretty-certain-i-d_1519505.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/brock-clarke-11266_failure_but-then-again-i-was-pretty-certain-i-d_1519505.jpg) > ““But then again, I was pretty certain I'd make more mistakes, so I didn't dwell on the one I'd just made too long. This is another thing I'll put in my arsonist's guide: if you make a mistake, don't dwell on it too long, because you'll make more of them.”” [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mistakes are inevitable; lingering on them breeds more errors, so move on quickly. **In simple terms:** Don't dwell on mistakes, or you'll make more. Key Takeaway Release error quickly to avoid a cascade of errors. Themes mistakes self‑improvement resilience Mood reflective pragmatic Type advice self‑help When to use this quote - personal projects - workplace errors - creative endeavors - learning new skills Key Concepts psychology habit formation Questions to Reflect On - How can you recognize when to stop ruminating on an error? - What strategies help you shift focus after a slip? A Different Perspective If you ignore a mistake too long, you may miss the chance to correct it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dwell Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dwell-long-839596/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Make Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-mistake/) [Make mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-mistakes/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Mistakes Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes-didn-714487/) [Too long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-long/) ## Related quotes > [I have made mistakes, but I didn't make them again. Even when I struggled, I promised myself never to submit in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-blachowicz/i-have-made-mistakes-but-i-didn-t-make-them-again-even-when-i/) [Jan Blachowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-blachowicz/) > [No one knows anything. You're going to make mistakes and you're going to do things that people think are stupid. You can't sit there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/no-one-knows-anything-you-re-going-to-make-mistakes-and-you-re-going/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [Everybody makes mistakes. You have to be careful when you make your mistakes. Now is not a good time to make a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-markakis/everybody-makes-mistakes-you-have-to-be-careful-when-you-make-your/) [Nick Markakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-markakis/) > [Treat people who make mistakes the way you would want GOD to deal with you when you make a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/treat-people-who-make-mistakes-the-way-you-would-want-god-to-deal/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Innocence and mystery never dwell long together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-curchod/innocence-and-mystery-never-dwell-long-together/) [Suzanne Curchod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-curchod/) > [A person may dwell so long upon a thought that it may take him a prisoner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-person-may-dwell-so-long-upon-a-thought-that-it-may-take-him-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a Gemini, and my attention span is limited. So, I don't dwell on long-term goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-madhavan/i-m-a-gemini-and-my-attention-span-is-limited-so-i-don-t-dwell-on/) [R. Madhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-madhavan/) > [A man man may dwell so long upon a thought that it may take him prisoner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/a-man-man-may-dwell-so-long-upon-a-thought-that-it-may-take-him/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-if-you-do-something-and-it-turns-out-pretty-good-then-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [They're my mistakes. ... I didn't pick the right guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-millen/they-re-my-mistakes-i-didn-t-pick-the-right-guys/) [Matt Millen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-millen/) > [We didn't make no mistakes. We didn't make no mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jackson/we-didn-t-make-no-mistakes-we-didn-t-make-no-mistakes/) [Joseph Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jackson/) > [ “\[He\] didn't view the less idyllic chapters of his life as the results of "mistakes." He didn't believe in mistakes. He believed in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-jewell/he-didn-t-view-the-less-idyllic-chapters-of-his-life-as-the-results/) [Lisa Jewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-jewell/) > [“Back then we gave it our all, we neither lied nor made mistakes, we didn't fail and didn't do anything wrong. It's just that...TIME…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuuki-obata/back-then-we-gave-it-our-all-we-neither-lied-nor-made-mistakes-we/) [Yuuki Obata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuuki-obata/) > [“You're not the only one who's made mistakes. I have too. But I believe we're more than the sum of our mistakes. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-ryan/you-re-not-the-only-one-who-s-made-mistakes-i-have-too-but-i-believe/) [Lexi Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-ryan/) > [You can never make the SAME MISTAKE because the second time you make it, its not a mistake, ITS A CHOICE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-never-make-the-same-mistake-because-the-second-time-you-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Brock Clarke > [“I didn't normally talk this way: but sometimes you have to pretend to be an innocent child to learn something about the complicated world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/i-didn-t-normally-talk-this-way-but-sometimes-you-have-to-pretend-to/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“Can a story be good only if it produces an effect? If the effect is a bad one, but intended, has the story done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/can-a-story-be-good-only-if-it-produces-an-effect-if-the-effect-is-a/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [ “They \[my eyes\] immediately started to tear up, tears being your eyes' way of forbidding you to look away,of forcing you to look at… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/they-my-eyes-immediately-started-to-tear-up-tears-being-your-eyes-way/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“I think, that love endures, but that it isn't everything, and it isn't ever what we want it to be...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/i-think-that-love-endures-but-that-it-isn-t-everything-and-it-isn-t/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“When he did that, I didn't hate him anymore, I really didn't, and maybe this is why people do so many hateful things to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/when-he-did-that-i-didn-t-hate-him-anymore-i-really-didn-t-and-maybe/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“They looked at each other for a while their gazes steady, unblinking. It was the way people stare at each other not when they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/they-looked-at-each-other-for-a-while-their-gazes-steady-unblinking/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“When I was a boy, I would read those postcards and know exactly why my father was doing what he was doing: he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/when-i-was-a-boy-i-would-read-those-postcards-and-know-exactly-why-my/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“When we say we know something in our bones, we mean we don't know yet how we know what we know. This is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/when-we-say-we-know-something-in-our-bones-we-mean-we-don-t-know-yet/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“After a dream like that, you're grateful that it was just a dream, that no matter how bad your actual life, it couldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/after-a-dream-like-that-you-re-grateful-that-it-was-just-a-dream-that/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“I could hear the exasperation in her voice, so beautiful and familiar, but sad, too, like hearing church bells right before your funeral.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/i-could-hear-the-exasperation-in-her-voice-so-beautiful-and-familiar/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“I had what, I wanted, it was with me, in the room, including the room itself. Was it possible that we hear that voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/i-had-what-i-wanted-it-was-with-me-in-the-room-including-the-room/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“In truth I was very pleased with myself and with my story and all that had happened in it. Because you can't help being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/in-truth-i-was-very-pleased-with-myself-and-with-my-story-and-all/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“But maybe this is what happens when you hate someone for so long: the person you hate dies, but the hate stays with you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/but-maybe-this-is-what-happens-when-you-hate-someone-for-so-long-the/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“The past comes back once and then it keeps coming back and coming back, not just one part of the past but all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/the-past-comes-back-once-and-then-it-keeps-coming-back-and-coming/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [“This was yet another good thing about drinking, of course: not that drinking made you forget things, but that it made it possible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/this-was-yet-another-good-thing-about-drinking-of-course-not-that/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) [Explore all 60 Brock Clarke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) ## 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": "“But then again, I was pretty certain I'd make more mistakes, so I didn't dwell on the one I'd just made too long. 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