--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most powerful of men can fail when…" description: "\"The most powerful of men can fail when they forget that a mighty river can be crossed at its source.\" — Clarence H. Burns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/clarence-h-burns-43855_failing_the-most-powerful-of-men-can-fail-when-t_2400808.png" --- # The most powerful of men can fail when they forget that a… ![“The most powerful of men can fail when they forget that a mighty river can be crossed at its source.” quote by Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/clarence-h-burns-43855_failing_the-most-powerful-of-men-can-fail-when-t_2400808.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/clarence-h-burns-43855_failing_the-most-powerful-of-men-can-fail-when-t_2400808.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/clarence-h-burns-43855_failing_the-most-powerful-of-men-can-fail-when-t_2400808.png) > “The most powerful of men can fail when they forget that a mighty river can be crossed at its source.” [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warns that even the strongest can fail if they ignore humble beginnings, emphasizing the importance of staying grounded. **In simple terms:** Even the powerful can fail if they forget origins. Key Takeaway Remember and respect your roots. Themes leadership humility failure Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - corporate strategy - personal mentorship - team building Key Concepts organizational theory psychology historical examples Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay grounded in success? - What practices keep you connected to your origins? A Different Perspective May undervalue the role of power dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fail Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-forget-620337/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-fail-305328/) [Mighty River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mighty-river-764753/) [Most powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most-powerful/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Powerful Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-men-818304/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) [River Crossed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river-crossed-2791978/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) ## Related quotes > [Live like a mighty river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/live-like-a-mighty-river/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours? There was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/how-has-a-failure-or-apparent-failure-set-you-up-for-later-success-do-2/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“The same river can never be crossed twice. The flowing water has no memory of footprints.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-r-mccammon/the-same-river-can-never-be-crossed-twice-the-flowing-water-has-no/) [Robert R. McCammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-r-mccammon/) > [“If you didn’t get a little wet crossing the river you might have crossed it, but you didn’t experience it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-you-didn-t-get-a-little-wet-crossing-the-river-you-might-have/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [There are many powerful men and women in mobile. I'm fortunate to be part of that group. But by no means do I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sundar-pichai/there-are-many-powerful-men-and-women-in-mobile-i-m-fortunate-to-be/) [Sundar Pichai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sundar-pichai/) > [Once more, I am watching the most powerful men in the kingdom bring their power to bear on a woman who has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/once-more-i-am-watching-the-most-powerful-men-in-the-kingdom-bring/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [The most powerful men were those who most effectively used the power of adult competence to enforce childish agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-s-trow/the-most-powerful-men-were-those-who-most-effectively-used-the-power/) [George W. S. 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Success is the stamp of truth. I will say all men who fail to place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-taylor-still/you-find-that-all-men-are-successes-or-failures-success-is-the-stamp/) [Andrew Taylor Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-taylor-still/) > [More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/more-men-fail-through-lack-of-purpose-than-lack-of-talent/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-orlov/they-say-evil-prevails-when-good-men-fail-to-act-what-they-ought-to/) [Yuri Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-orlov/) > [Many men fail because they do not see the importance of being kind and courteous to the men under them. Kindness to everybody always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schwab/many-men-fail-because-they-do-not-see-the-importance-of-being-kind/) [Charles M. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schwab/) > [Most men fail, not through lack of education or agreeable personal qualities, but from lack of dogged determination, from lack of dauntless will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/most-men-fail-not-through-lack-of-education-or-agreeable-personal/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) ## More by Clarence H. Burns > [At times, the most dangerous politicians have been those impelled by dreams and ideals, rather than basic realities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-h-burns/at-times-the-most-dangerous-politicians-have-been-those-impelled-by/) [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) > [Men, who achieve much, die as do those who achieve nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-h-burns/men-who-achieve-much-die-as-do-those-who-achieve-nothing/) [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) > [It is painful to reflect upon your failures knowing that you alone caused them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-h-burns/it-is-painful-to-reflect-upon-your-failures-knowing-that-you-alone/) [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) > [It is often easier to learn from the mistakes of others than from our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-h-burns/it-is-often-easier-to-learn-from-the-mistakes-of-others-than-from-our/) [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) > [Does man Progress? A thousand questions answered yesterday create a thousand questions today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-h-burns/does-man-progress-a-thousand-questions-answered-yesterday-create-a/) [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) > [The business man who gains success at the expense of the poor and miserable gains nil respect from his peers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-h-burns/the-business-man-who-gains-success-at-the-expense-of-the-poor-and/) [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) > [Art, when destroyed can never be replaced, yet history repeats itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-h-burns/art-when-destroyed-can-never-be-replaced-yet-history-repeats-itself/) [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) > [A man can seem to have many friends yet know little of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-h-burns/a-man-can-seem-to-have-many-friends-yet-know-little-of-friendship/) [Clarence H. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) [Explore all 9 Clarence H. Burns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-h-burns/) ## More Failing quotes > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [Trial by jury. Live wherever you can make a living. How could a government based on such principles fail?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/trial-by-jury-live-wherever-you-can-make-a-living-how-could-a/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I would warn against holsters with devices for quick-draw. Devices always fail when you need them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-would-warn-against-holsters-with-devices-for-quick-draw-devices/) [William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [When I paint, I never think of selling. People simply fail to understand that we paint in order to experiment and to develop ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-munch/when-i-paint-i-never-think-of-selling-people-simply-fail-to/) [Edvard Munch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-munch/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I wake up every morning fearing I am going to fail. But I love a challenge, big or small. There's so much I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mone/i-wake-up-every-morning-fearing-i-am-going-to-fail-but-i-love-a/) [Michelle Mone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mone/) > [What I want is to be willing to fail rather than stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/what-i-want-is-to-be-willing-to-fail-rather-than-stagnate/) [James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The very first company I started failed with a great bang. The second one failed a little bit less, but still failed. The third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-levchin/the-very-first-company-i-started-failed-with-a-great-bang-the-second/) [Max Levchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-levchin/) [Browse all 5,634 Failing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most powerful of men can fail when they forget that a mighty river can be crossed at its source.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clarence H. 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