--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at…" description: "\"“The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think it is your fault. Therefore you think you can’t do that task. As a result, next time you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/don-norman-47786_fail_the-vicious-cycle-starts-if-you-fail-at_2424730.jpg" --- # The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you… ![“The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think it is your fault. Therefore you think you can’t do that task. As a result, next time you have to do the task, you believe you can’t, so you don’t even try. The result is that you can’t, just as you thought. You’re trapped in a…” quote by Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/don-norman-47786_fail_the-vicious-cycle-starts-if-you-fail-at_2424730.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/don-norman-47786_fail_the-vicious-cycle-starts-if-you-fail-at_2424730.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/don-norman-47786_fail_the-vicious-cycle-starts-if-you-fail-at_2424730.jpg) > ““The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think it is your fault. Therefore you think you can’t do that task. As a result, next time you have to do the task, you believe you can’t, so you don’t even try. The result is that you can’t, just as you thought. You’re trapped in a self-fulfilling prophecy.”” [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑fulfilling prophecies trap people in failure by reinforcing negative self‑beliefs. **In simple terms:** Negative beliefs cause failure. Key Takeaway Break the cycle by challenging self‑doubt. Themes psychology behavior learning Mood thoughtful encouraging Type psychology self‑help When to use this quote - education - workplace - personal development - coaching Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to test your assumptions? - How do you support others stuck in similar cycles? A Different Perspective Changing mindset alone may not address external obstacles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) [Fail Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-think-639486/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Fault Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fault-think-1265213/) [Next time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-time/) [Think Fault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-fault-502276/) [Vicious Cycle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vicious-cycle-818250/) ## Related quotes > [“The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think it is your fault. Therefore you think you can’t do that task. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/the-vicious-cycle-starts-if-you-fail-at-something-you-think-it-is/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [It's not my fault who I am. The only think that's my fault is what I choose to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/it-s-not-my-fault-who-i-am-the-only-think-that-s-my-fault-is-what-i/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I guess it's my fault to think we could ever be more than just friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-it-s-my-fault-to-think-we-could-ever-be-more-than-just-friends/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm stupid...but I guess it's my fault to think we could ever be more than just friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-stupid-but-i-guess-it-s-my-fault-to-think-we-could-ever-be-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“- Is it their fault if they think that it’s good to work? - No, said Colin, it’s not their fault. It’s because they’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-vian/is-it-their-fault-if-they-think-that-it-s-good-to-work-no-said-colin/) [Boris Vian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-vian/) > [People who think they're generous to a fault usually think that's their only fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/people-who-think-they-re-generous-to-a-fault-usually-think-that-s/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [“I think how there are fault lines in men as old and uncharted as the earth itself. Made known just before the ground starts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-warlick/i-think-how-there-are-fault-lines-in-men-as-old-and-uncharted-as-the/) [Ashley Warlick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-warlick/) > [“If you think everything is someone else's fault, you'd be wrong. If you think everything is your fault, you're also wrong. Assigning blame can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/if-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-you-d-be-wrong-if-you/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [Now when I bore people at a party they think it's their fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/now-when-i-bore-people-at-a-party-they-think-it-s-their-fault/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/when-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-you-will-suffer-a/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [This is a do-it-yourself test for paranoia: you know you've got it when you can't think of anything that's your fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/this-is-a-do-it-yourself-test-for-paranoia-you-know-you-ve-got-it/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [What do you do when life blindfolds you and spins you around? We think it's our fault, that we're to blame, when really we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/what-do-you-do-when-life-blindfolds-you-and-spins-you-around-we-think/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [When you don't tell me what's wrong, I will automatically think it's my fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-shirks/when-you-don-t-tell-me-what-s-wrong-i-will-automatically-think-it-s/) [Spencer Shirks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-shirks/) > [“When you think everything is someone else’s fault, chances are that you’re looking at the wrong side of the looking glass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-megan-varnadore/when-you-think-everything-is-someone-else-s-fault-chances-are-that/) [Jennifer Megan Varnadore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-megan-varnadore/) ## More by Don Norman > [“A stupid question asks about things so fundamental that everyone assumes the answer is obvious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-norman/a-stupid-question-asks-about-things-so-fundamental-that-everyone/) [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) > [“In hindsight, events seem logical”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-norman/in-hindsight-events-seem-logical/) [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) > [“One of my rules in consulting is simple: never solve the problem I am asked to solve. Why such a counter-intuitive rule? Because, invariably,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-norman/one-of-my-rules-in-consulting-is-simple-never-solve-the-problem-i-am/) [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) > [“Doing two tasks at once takes longer than the sum of the times it would take to do each alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-norman/doing-two-tasks-at-once-takes-longer-than-the-sum-of-the-times-it/) [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) > [“Don't follow blindly; focus on strengths, not weaknesses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-norman/don-t-follow-blindly-focus-on-strengths-not-weaknesses/) [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) > [“All the arbitrary things we need to remember add up to unwitting tyranny”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-norman/all-the-arbitrary-things-we-need-to-remember-add-up-to-unwitting/) [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) > [“Experience is critical, for it determines how fondly people remember their interactions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-norman/experience-is-critical-for-it-determines-how-fondly-people-remember/) [Don Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) [Explore all 8 Don Norman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-norman/) ## More Fail quotes > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Would you like a side of epic with that fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabi/would-you-like-a-side-of-epic-with-that-fail/) [Gabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabi/) > [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/) > [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/) > [If you have a good idea you must explain it or you will fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-have-a-good-idea-you-must-explain-it-or-you-will-fail/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“If you die, I will find you. I will never leave you. I will never let you go. I will not let you fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/if-you-die-i-will-find-you-i-will-never-leave-you-i-will-never-let/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“The worst outcome of not trying is never getting to fail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-gary-smith/the-worst-outcome-of-not-trying-is-never-getting-to-fail/) [Phillip Gary Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-gary-smith/) > [“Many people fail in their career, business and relationship, and others get stuck because of their inability to make quality decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkem-mpamah/many-people-fail-in-their-career-business-and-relationship-and-others/) [Nkem Mpamah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkem-mpamah/) > [“Quitters don’t gain what they have started working on; waiters don’t start what they could have gained. 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If I fail at this, I fail at everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/this-is-my-most-important-role-if-i-fail-at-this-i-fail-at-everything/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Sunscreen is something that I think a lot of people fail to incorporate into their beauty routines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zegler/sunscreen-is-something-that-i-think-a-lot-of-people-fail-to/) [Rachel Zegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zegler/) > [Never give up on something just because you think you might fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-lee-reed-jr/never-give-up-on-something-just-because-you-think-you-might-fail/) [Jimmy Lee Reed Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-lee-reed-jr/) > [The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-cruise-o-brien/the-main-thing-that-endears-the-united-nations-to-member-governments/) [Conor Cruise O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-cruise-o-brien/) [Browse all 2,202 Fail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think it is your fault. 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