Broken wings Quote by David McCullough
““When Darius leaped into the air in his creation from the barn loft, it was only to crash below in a heap of “tangled strings, broken braces and broken wings, shooting stars and various things,” the moral of the story being, “Stick to your sphere.” In no way did any of this discourage or deter Wilbur and Orville Wright, any more than the fact that they had had no college education, no formal technical training, no experience working with anyone other than themselves, no friends in high places, no financial backers, no government subsidies, and little money of their own. Or the entirely real possibility that at some point, like Otto Lilienthal, they could be killed.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough, 2015
Persistence and self‑learning can overcome lack of formal resources and repeated failures.
In simple terms: Keep trying despite setbacks.
Key Takeaway
Embrace failure as learning.
Themes
persistence
innovation
self‑education
Mood
inspirational
cautious
Type
historical
motivational
When to use this quote
- entrepreneurship
- engineering
- historical study
- personal resilience
Key Concepts
resource scarcity
failure
learning
risk
Questions to Reflect On
- What resources can you leverage when formal support is absent?
- How do you balance risk and perseverance?
A Different Perspective
Even with setbacks, success isn’t guaranteed without strategic planning.
