--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always had to have some kind of…" description: "\"I've always had to have some kind of failure before I was successful.\" — Dan O'Brien" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/dan-o-brien-17274_always_i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-fai_1482768.png" --- # I've always had to have some kind of failure before I was… ![“I've always had to have some kind of failure before I was successful.” quote by Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/dan-o-brien-17274_always_i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-fai_1482768.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/dan-o-brien-17274_always_i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-fai_1482768.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/dan-o-brien-17274_always_i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-fai_1482768.png) > “I've always had to have some kind of failure before I was successful.” [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success often follows a period of failure, highlighting that setbacks are a prerequisite for achievement. **In simple terms:** Failure precedes success. Key Takeaway Embrace setbacks as learning steps. Themes growth resilience learning Mood reflective motivational Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - personal development - sports training Key Concepts mindset experience perseverance Questions to Reflect On - How have your failures shaped your path? - What can you learn from a recent setback? A Different Perspective Failure alone does not guarantee success; effort and adaptation are also needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) ## Related quotes > [I'm kind of a failure. I mean, I'll be honest. I'm successful in that I'm getting to work on great stuff, but I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/i-m-kind-of-a-failure-i-mean-i-ll-be-honest-i-m-successful-in-that-i/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [Greatest danger is not failure, but be successful and not know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/greatest-danger-is-not-failure-but-be-successful-and-not-know-why/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Succes is really nothing more than the record of failure. To be successful means you must be willing to fail more than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-van-booy/succes-is-really-nothing-more-than-the-record-of-failure-to-be/) [Simon Van Booy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-van-booy/) > [There is only one kind of failure I cannot tolerate: the failure to risk failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cannot-tolerate-the-failure-to/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [There will always be a great failure for successful ones. You cant have everything in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-adviser/there-will-always-be-a-great-failure-for-successful-ones-you-cant/) My Adviser > [Success is sometimes harder than failure, because when you are successful, people expect so much more out of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britney-spears/success-is-sometimes-harder-than-failure-because-when-you-are/) [Britney Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britney-spears/) > [Everyone is a failure, until one of us becomes successful in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teejay-david/everyone-is-a-failure-until-one-of-us-becomes-successful-in-life/) [Teejay David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teejay-david/) > [“Failure is successful when you fail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munia-khan/failure-is-successful-when-you-fail/) [Munia Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munia-khan/) > [If you truly feared failure, you'd be very successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sher/if-you-truly-feared-failure-you-d-be-very-successful/) [Barbara Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sher/) > [I feel it's easier to deal with failure than to be successful and maintain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshara-haasan/i-feel-it-s-easier-to-deal-with-failure-than-to-be-successful-and/) [Akshara Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshara-haasan/) > [I've always kind of been an outcast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-fox/i-ve-always-kind-of-been-an-outcast/) [Julia Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-fox/) > [I've always been a kind of person who kept to themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koffee/i-ve-always-been-a-kind-of-person-who-kept-to-themselves/) [Koffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koffee/) > [I've always been kind of a loner. Continue to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-always-been-kind-of-a-loner-continue-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always been the kind of guy to take it day by day with not a whole lot of worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-marchand/i-ve-always-been-the-kind-of-guy-to-take-it-day-by-day-with-not-a/) [Brad Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-marchand/) > [I've always kind of lived in my own world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-white/i-ve-always-kind-of-lived-in-my-own-world/) [Meg White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-white/) ## More by Dan O'Brien > [You have to be able to be a good loser. You have to be okay knowing you're going to fail every day in something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/you-have-to-be-able-to-be-a-good-loser-you-have-to-be-okay-knowing/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [It's important for me to think I'm mixed-race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/it-s-important-for-me-to-think-i-m-mixed-race/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [To me, the decathlon is its own little society and I am part of that culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/to-me-the-decathlon-is-its-own-little-society-and-i-am-part-of-that/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [You can only look forward to a South Dakota winter if, as with childbirth, remodeling a house, or writing a novel, you're able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/you-can-only-look-forward-to-a-south-dakota-winter-if-as-with/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [You need to become more than one type of athlete. You have to be a sprinter, a weight man and a distance guy all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/you-need-to-become-more-than-one-type-of-athlete-you-have-to-be-a/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [If you never give up, you'll be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/if-you-never-give-up-you-ll-be-successful/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [I think what my parents did was perfect. They were strict, concerned about my safety and held me back just a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/i-think-what-my-parents-did-was-perfect-they-were-strict-concerned/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [After the failure in '92, my goal was to be a good pole vaulter. I used that as motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/after-the-failure-in-92-my-goal-was-to-be-a-good-pole-vaulter-i-used/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [It took me time to realize that the men who won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon are just men, just like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/it-took-me-time-to-realize-that-the-men-who-won-olympic-gold-medals/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [As a young child, I was never a crier. I never cried to get my way, or even when I was in pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/as-a-young-child-i-was-never-a-crier-i-never-cried-to-get-my-way-or/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [I didn't get a ton of interest from colleges in baseball and football, but I was outstanding in track and had the sense that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/i-didn-t-get-a-ton-of-interest-from-colleges-in-baseball-and-football/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [Try everything, because you're never sure what you're going to be great at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/try-everything-because-you-re-never-sure-what-you-re-going-to-be/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [When I was little, I wasn't allowed to put sugar on my breakfast cereal because it made me so hyper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/when-i-was-little-i-wasn-t-allowed-to-put-sugar-on-my-breakfast/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [I call myself a chameleon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/i-call-myself-a-chameleon/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [As a young athlete, it was first about having fun; then it was about winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/as-a-young-athlete-it-was-first-about-having-fun-then-it-was-about/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) [Explore all 37 Dan O'Brien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always had to have some kind of failure before I was successful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan O'Brien" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-failure-before-i-was-successful/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-failure-before-i-was-successful/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/dan-o-brien-17274_always_i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-fai_1482768.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/dan-o-brien-17274_always_i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-fai_1482768.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/dan-o-brien-17274_always_i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-fai_1482768.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always had to have some kind of failure before I was successful.” — Dan O'Brien", "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": "Dan O'Brien", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always had to have some...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-failure-before-i-was-successful/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-failure-before-i-was-successful/#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 } } ] } ```