--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only real failure is the failure to…" description: "\"The only real failure is the failure to try, and the measure of success is how we cope with disappointment.\" — Deborah Moggach" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/deborah-moggach-9536_disappointment_the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to_1169562.jpg" --- # The only real failure is the failure to try, and the… ![“The only real failure is the failure to try, and the measure of success is how we cope with disappointment.” quote by Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/deborah-moggach-9536_disappointment_the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to_1169562.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/deborah-moggach-9536_disappointment_the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to_1169562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/deborah-moggach-9536_disappointment_the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to_1169562.jpg) > “The only real failure is the failure to try, and the measure of success is how we cope with disappointment.” [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Failure is only real when you never try; success is measured by resilience in the face of disappointment. **In simple terms:** Trying is essential; coping defines success. Key Takeaway Try and learn from setbacks. Themes perseverance resilience growth Mood hopeful determined Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career pursuits - personal goals - creative projects - relationship building Key Concepts mindset self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What have you avoided trying due to fear? - How do you recover after a setback? A Different Perspective Success also requires resources and opportunity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Measure of success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measure-of-success/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [The only real failure is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to-try/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [The only real failure in life is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-the-failure-to-try/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only real failure is the failure to grow from what we go through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to-grow-from-what-we-go-through/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The only true failure is failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/the-only-true-failure-is-failure-to-try/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [The greatest failure is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/the-greatest-failure-is-the-failure-to-try/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [“I do look for the good in everyone. I also give them a chance to be their best, and I try to cope with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-taylor/i-do-look-for-the-good-in-everyone-i-also-give-them-a-chance-to-be/) Laura Taylor > [Real failure comes when we consider ourselves good enough at something to be able to repeat it rather than to develop it. "Success is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/real-failure-comes-when-we-consider-ourselves-good-enough-at/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [ It would be a real failure if agreeing that it \[abortion\] was not an electoral issue provided an alibi for taking it seriously as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/it-would-be-a-real-failure-if-agreeing-that-it-abortion-was-not-an/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Capitalism, after all, is no fun when real failure becomes a possibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/capitalism-after-all-is-no-fun-when-real-failure-becomes-a-possibility/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-not-to-be-true-to-the-best-one-knows/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is only one real failure in life that is possible, and that is, not to be true to the best one knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-william-farrar/there-is-only-one-real-failure-in-life-that-is-possible-and-that-is/) Frederic William Farrar > [Real success and accomplishment, at whatever it is you are passionate about, requires real work. Real sacrifice. Real disappointment. Real failure. And it requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisha-tyler/real-success-and-accomplishment-at-whatever-it-is-you-are-passionate/) [Aisha Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisha-tyler/) > [The only real failure in life is one not learned from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-j-d-angelo/the-only-real-failure-in-life-is-one-not-learned-from/) [Anthony J. D'Angelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-j-d-angelo/) > [I do believe that it's when you stop and give up that real failure takes place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-screwvala/i-do-believe-that-it-s-when-you-stop-and-give-up-that-real-failure/) [Ronnie Screwvala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-screwvala/) > [“The real failure is not the one who falls down, it's the one who refuses to get up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habeeb-akande/the-real-failure-is-not-the-one-who-falls-down-it-s-the-one-who/) [Habeeb Akande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habeeb-akande/) ## More by Deborah Moggach > [It's not a failure if a marriage or partnership ends after a certain number of years. I think, in general, we expect too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/it-s-not-a-failure-if-a-marriage-or-partnership-ends-after-a-certain/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [“Our task is not to solve enigmas, but to be aware of them, to bow our heads before them and also to prepare the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/our-task-is-not-to-solve-enigmas-but-to-be-aware-of-them-to-bow-our/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [It was very liberating, living in a foreign country, a place where everything was new and strange - the food, the customs, the climate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/it-was-very-liberating-living-in-a-foreign-country-a-place-where/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [“Even when I succeed in getting there we only have an hour. At ten o’clock the night-watch trumpet sounds and those who are out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/even-when-i-succeed-in-getting-there-we-only-have-an-hour-at-ten-o/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [“The world is chaotic. All artists know this, but they try to make sense of it. Sophia has made sense of it for him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/the-world-is-chaotic-all-artists-know-this-but-they-try-to-make-sense/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [Don't start writing your novel until you know your characters very, very well. What they'd do if they saw somebody shoplifting. What they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/don-t-start-writing-your-novel-until-you-know-your-characters-very/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [Everything will be alright in the end so if it is not alright it is not the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/everything-will-be-alright-in-the-end-so-if-it-is-not-alright-it-is/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [Living apart is hardly possible if people have children together. It can also be more expensive to maintain two homes. But then, it's expensive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/living-apart-is-hardly-possible-if-people-have-children-together-it/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [My first novel, 'You Must be Sisters,' was started in Pakistan. I've wrote several novels and a TV drama set or partly-set there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/my-first-novel-you-must-be-sisters-was-started-in-pakistan-i-ve-wrote/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [Writing a novel is a huge adventure; when it's going well it's more fun than fun. When it stutters to a halt put it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/writing-a-novel-is-a-huge-adventure-when-it-s-going-well-it-s-more/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [I like missing someone and being missed; I like looking forward to seeing him again. I like getting emails and texts with lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/i-like-missing-someone-and-being-missed-i-like-looking-forward-to/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [The greatest artists know how to entertain, or else nobody would read them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/the-greatest-artists-know-how-to-entertain-or-else-nobody-would-read/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [I hate fussing about in the kitchen when I have people over to supper, so I make a rich beef stew cooked in wine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/i-hate-fussing-about-in-the-kitchen-when-i-have-people-over-to-supper/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [But it's also true that the person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing. All we know about the future is that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/but-it-s-also-true-that-the-person-who-risks-nothing-does-nothing-has/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [I do believe that we baby-boomers are reinventing ageing as we enter it. We're living longer and expecting more from life; the success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/i-do-believe-that-we-baby-boomers-are-reinventing-ageing-as-we-enter/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) [Explore all 72 Deborah Moggach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) ## More Disappointment quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [“My earthly body has been a terrible disappointment to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/my-earthly-body-has-been-a-terrible-disappointment-to-me/) [Frédéric Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [In trying not to disappoint others; we disappoint ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-vermaak/in-trying-not-to-disappoint-others-we-disappoint-ourselves/) [Geraldine Vermaak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-vermaak/) > [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [In all disappointments sympathy is a great balm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/in-all-disappointments-sympathy-is-a-great-balm/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [It is sometimes said that because of our past we, as a people, expect too much and set our sights too high. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-is-sometimes-said-that-because-of-our-past-we-as-a-people-expect/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I'm talking to anyone who has been dumped - have not gotten the job you really wanted or have received those horrible rejection letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-m-talking-to-anyone-who-has-been-dumped-have-not-gotten-the-job-you/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Stop blaming others, whatever happens to you is nobody's fault if you get hurt because of disappointment is not the end of your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/stop-blaming-others-whatever-happens-to-you-is-nobody-s-fault-if-you/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [When disappointments knock you down, get back up and go again because out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-disappointments-knock-you-down-get-back-up-and-go-again-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,467 Disappointment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only real failure is the failure to try, and the measure of success is how we cope with disappointment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Deborah Moggach" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to-try-and-the-measure-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Disappointment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to-try-and-the-measure-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/deborah-moggach-9536_disappointment_the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to_1169562.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/deborah-moggach-9536_disappointment_the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to_1169562.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/deborah-moggach-9536_disappointment_the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to_1169562.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only real failure is the failure to try, and the measure of success is how we cope with disappointment.” — Deborah Moggach", "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": "Deborah Moggach", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only real failure is the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to-try-and-the-measure-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/the-only-real-failure-is-the-failure-to-try-and-the-measure-of/#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 } } ] } ```