--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Success and failure are equally surprising." description: "\"Success and failure are equally surprising.\" — Daryl Hall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/daryl-hall-5556_failure_success-and-failure-are-equally-surprisi_1685784.jpg" --- # Success and failure are equally surprising. ![“Success and failure are equally surprising.” quote by Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/daryl-hall-5556_failure_success-and-failure-are-equally-surprisi_1685784.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/daryl-hall-5556_failure_success-and-failure-are-equally-surprisi_1685784.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/daryl-hall-5556_failure_success-and-failure-are-equally-surprisi_1685784.jpg) > “Success and failure are equally surprising.” [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success and failure both surprise, reminding us that outcomes are unpredictable regardless of expectations. **In simple terms:** Success and failure surprise. Key Takeaway Expect the unexpected. Themes uncertainty achievement humility Mood thoughtful calm Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - investment decisions - personal goals Key Concepts probability psychology of surprise Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay resilient after surprise? - What prepares you for unpredictable outcomes? A Different Perspective Surprises can be stressful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equally Surprising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equally-surprising-1002738/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Equally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-equally-866759/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success and failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-and-failure/) [Success Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-failure/) [Surprising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprising/) ## Related quotes > [Success and failure are equally disastrous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/success-and-failure-are-equally-disastrous/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [I can easily be lying in the gutter with someone kicking mud in my face tomorrow as easily as I can float in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shenaz-treasury/i-can-easily-be-lying-in-the-gutter-with-someone-kicking-mud-in-my/) [Shenaz Treasury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shenaz-treasury/) > [But success and failure are of no account. They are God's concern, not mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/but-success-and-failure-are-of-no-account-they-are-god-s-concern-not/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Success and failure are two edges of the same blade, two sides of the same coin. To fear one is to forever deny the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/success-and-failure-are-two-edges-of-the-same-blade-two-sides-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The difference between insanity and genius is measured only by success and failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masashi-kishimoto/the-difference-between-insanity-and-genius-is-measured-only-by/) [Masashi Kishimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masashi-kishimoto/) > [What strikes me is that theres a very fine line between success and failure. Just one ingredient can make the difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lloyd-webber/what-strikes-me-is-that-theres-a-very-fine-line-between-success-and/) [Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lloyd-webber/) > [Sheer persistence is the difference between success and failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/sheer-persistence-is-the-difference-between-success-and-failure/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Success and failure are largely the results of our habitual thoughts & many people create by default. — Marie Cunningham”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-cunningham/success-and-failure-are-largely-the-results-of-our-habitual-thoughts/) [Marie Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-cunningham/) > [Welcome it as part of a process... you just can't avoid it... if you go to bat enough times, you are going to strike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-guber/welcome-it-as-part-of-a-process-you-just-can-t-avoid-it-if-you-go-to/) [Peter Guber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-guber/) > [“Often it is not the wrong start but the wrong stop that makes the difference between success and failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/often-it-is-not-the-wrong-start-but-the-wrong-stop-that-makes-the/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Both success and failure begin with one step. Don't be afraid to take that step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hope/both-success-and-failure-begin-with-one-step-don-t-be-afraid-to-take/) [Amber Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hope/) > [“The way a young man spends his evenings is a part of that thin area between success and failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-r-young/the-way-a-young-man-spends-his-evenings-is-a-part-of-that-thin-area/) [Robert R. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-r-young/) > [Well, I think that there's a very thin dividing line between success and failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/well-i-think-that-there-s-a-very-thin-dividing-line-between-success/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“The rise or fall, success or failure of your dreams is largely dependent on the association you build yourself around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-rise-or-fall-success-or-failure-of-your-dreams-is-largely/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Success and failure are temporary in TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeeda-sheikh/success-and-failure-are-temporary-in-tv/) [Sanjeeda Sheikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeeda-sheikh/) ## More by Daryl Hall > [My fan base is really expanding into an inter-generational thing - it's what every artist probably hopes for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/my-fan-base-is-really-expanding-into-an-inter-generational-thing-it-s/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Everybody who I ever cared about has told me that they like my music: Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Al Green, The Spinners, Smokey Robinson.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/everybody-who-i-ever-cared-about-has-told-me-that-they-like-my-music/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Chronic Lyme causes arthritis, heart problems, stroke - even death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/chronic-lyme-causes-arthritis-heart-problems-stroke-even-death/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [I grew up in a very racially integrated place called Pottstown. It was an agricultural / industrial town which has since become a suburb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-grew-up-in-a-very-racially-integrated-place-called-pottstown-it-was/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [I knew that I would be making music for my whole life; as far as how many people respond to it, you can't plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-knew-that-i-would-be-making-music-for-my-whole-life-as-far-as-how/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [I'd like to see more crossover between white and black music. That's something I've been advocating for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-d-like-to-see-more-crossover-between-white-and-black-music-that-s/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [The difference between me and other people in my generation is instead of saying the Internet's killing the record business, I say, 'Who cares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/the-difference-between-me-and-other-people-in-my-generation-is/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [I've been watching RFD-TV for a few years. As a person who lives mostly in the country, I appreciate a network that shows the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-ve-been-watching-rfd-tv-for-a-few-years-as-a-person-who-lives/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Late 20th century music was a really important thing. It changed the world, and I'm part of that, and now I'm part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/late-20th-century-music-was-a-really-important-thing-it-changed-the/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [I've been traveling around the world forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-ve-been-traveling-around-the-world-forever/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [I never felt entitled to anything. I'm the hardest worker I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-never-felt-entitled-to-anything-i-m-the-hardest-worker-i-know/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [To write a good song, an artist has to drawn from reality. There has to be some spark from realism that communicates a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/to-write-a-good-song-an-artist-has-to-drawn-from-reality-there-has-to/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Yes, I travel in unusual circles. George Osborne and his wife Frances are my cousins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/yes-i-travel-in-unusual-circles-george-osborne-and-his-wife-frances/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [The Daryls House thing has made me into a live musician even more than I ever was, and even in the way I record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/the-daryls-house-thing-has-made-me-into-a-live-musician-even-more/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [If you take a bunch of superstars and put them in a room where they don't have their assistants and entourage, it's funny to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/if-you-take-a-bunch-of-superstars-and-put-them-in-a-room-where-they/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) [Explore all 100 Daryl Hall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) ## 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": "Success and failure are equally surprising.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daryl Hall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/success-and-failure-are-equally-surprising/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/success-and-failure-are-equally-surprising/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/daryl-hall-5556_failure_success-and-failure-are-equally-surprisi_1685784.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/daryl-hall-5556_failure_success-and-failure-are-equally-surprisi_1685784.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/daryl-hall-5556_failure_success-and-failure-are-equally-surprisi_1685784.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Success and failure are equally surprising.” — Daryl Hall", "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": "Daryl Hall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Success and failure are equally surprising.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/success-and-failure-are-equally-surprising/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/success-and-failure-are-equally-surprising/#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 } } ] } ```