---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People who live great stories know…"
description: "\"People who live great stories know failure isn’t a judgment, it’s an education.\" — Donald Miller"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/donald-miller-607_education_people-who-live-great-stories-know-failu_3048638.png"
---

#  People who live great stories know failure isn’t a…

![“People who live great stories know failure isn’t a judgment, it’s an education.” quote by Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/donald-miller-607_education_people-who-live-great-stories-know-failu_3048638.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/donald-miller-607_education_people-who-live-great-stories-know-failu_3048638.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/donald-miller-607_education_people-who-live-great-stories-know-failu_3048638.png)

> “People who live great stories know failure isn’t a judgment, it’s an education.”

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Great storytellers view failure as a learning experience, not judgment.

**In simple terms:** Failure is an education, not a verdict.

Key Takeaway

Reframe setbacks as lessons for growth.

Themes

failure learning storytelling

Mood

encouraging reflective

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- entrepreneurship
- creative projects
- personal development
- coaching

Key Concepts

psychology education

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you shift mindset from judgment to education?
- What lessons have you extracted from past failures?

A Different Perspective

Some may view failure as demotivating.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-isn/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Know Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-failure-500879/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Live Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-great-1370755/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Stories Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-know-656617/)

## Related quotes

> [“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-secret-of-the-great-stories-is-that-they-have-no-secrets-the/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [We who make stories know that we tell lies for a living. But they are good lies that say true things, and we owe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/we-who-make-stories-know-that-we-tell-lies-for-a-living-but-they-are-2/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“I don't know these stories as well as they know me, I've discovered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-gould/i-don-t-know-these-stories-as-well-as-they-know-me-i-ve-discovered/)

[Joan Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-gould/)

> [Some stories we know well and some we learn as we go. Being able to shape and share these stories into new perspectives and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-kravits/some-stories-we-know-well-and-some-we-learn-as-we-go-being-able-to/)

[Garth Kravits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-kravits/)

> [Stories. They're everywhere...You never know where they start and you certainly don't know where they'll end. If they ever DO end. (Nevermore)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-newberry/stories-they-re-everywhere-you-never-know-where-they-start-and-you/)

[Linda Newberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-newberry/)

> [We can't compare stories. We can only know in our hearts that we are the same. That may be the best we can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-buckley/we-can-t-compare-stories-we-can-only-know-in-our-hearts-that-we-are/)

[Betty Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-buckley/)

> [Science is not just 'Here are some facts, learn that'. There's a thread through these stories that, if you know how to tell it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/science-is-not-just-here-are-some-facts-learn-that-there-s-a-thread/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [We cant compare stories. We can only know in our hearts that we are the same. That may be the best we can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-buckley/we-cant-compare-stories-we-can-only-know-in-our-hearts-that-we-are/)

[Betty Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-buckley/)

> [“Without stories, how do we know who we are? How can we imagine who we can be?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-cann/without-stories-how-do-we-know-who-we-are-how-can-we-imagine-who-we/)

[Kate Cann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-cann/)

> [“All the truth is held in stories, you know?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/all-the-truth-is-held-in-stories-you-know/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [Crime stories are, as you know, one of the most popular forms of entertainment that exist. If you then try to have something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/crime-stories-are-as-you-know-one-of-the-most-popular-forms-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's human to hear stories and to know how people live and to imagine how that is for them. It's very interdependent!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/it-s-human-to-hear-stories-and-to-know-how-people-live-and-to-imagine/)

[Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/)

> [I love story-writing because I can (more or less, on occasion) actually DO it. That's really the truth. I like the idea that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-love-story-writing-because-i-can-more-or-less-on-occasion-actually/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [Immigrant stories are good stories for everyone to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-kenin/immigrant-stories-are-good-stories-for-everyone-to-know/)

[Sofia Kenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-kenin/)

> [The secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-secret-of-the-great-stories-is-that-they-have-no-secrets-the-2/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

## More by Donald Miller

> [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [I think each of us can, through our writing, discover our super power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-each-of-us-can-through-our-writing-discover-our-super-power/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-so-i-have-come-to-understand-that-strength-inner-strength-comes/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“Humans, as a species, are constantly, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/humans-as-a-species-are-constantly-and-in-every-way-comparing/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“alone, lonely, and loneliness are three of the most powerful words in the English language... Those words say that we are human; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/alone-lonely-and-loneliness-are-three-of-the-most-powerful-words-in/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“It isn't about what you don't get done; it's about what you do get done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/it-isn-t-about-what-you-don-t-get-done-it-s-about-what-you-do-get-done/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“Most Christians have enormous respect for the space and freedom of others, it is only that they have found a joy in Jesus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/most-christians-have-enormous-respect-for-the-space-and-freedom-of/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“The soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-soul-needs-to-interact-with-other-people-to-be-healthy/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [Don't let go of your strength or your beauty. It was given to you by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/don-t-let-go-of-your-strength-or-your-beauty-it-was-given-to-you-by/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [There's a lot of letters, and a lot of people come say "hi" at book signings, but I'm amazed at how normal everybody is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-a-lot-of-letters-and-a-lot-of-people-come-say-hi-at-book/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [I am something of a recluse by nature. I am that cordless screwdriver that has to charge for twenty hours to earn ten minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-am-something-of-a-recluse-by-nature-i-am-that-cordless-screwdriver/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [The most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-most-important-thing-that-happens-within-christian-spirituality/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [Every day you live is a page. Every year, a chapter. Your life, a book. What is it about?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/every-day-you-live-is-a-page-every-year-a-chapter-your-life-a-book/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“And that’s the first time I realized that the idea a character is what he does makes as much sense in life as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-that-s-the-first-time-i-realized-that-the-idea-a-character-is/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

[Explore all 448 Donald Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

## More Education quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

[Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/)

> [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/)

[Ioannes Amos Commenius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioannes-amos-commenius/)

> [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/)

[H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/)

> [“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/)

> [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

[Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People who live great stories know failure isn’t a judgment, it’s an education.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Donald Miller"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/people-who-live-great-stories-know-failure-isn-t-a-judgment-it-s-an/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Education"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/people-who-live-great-stories-know-failure-isn-t-a-judgment-it-s-an/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/donald-miller-607_education_people-who-live-great-stories-know-failu_3048638.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/donald-miller-607_education_people-who-live-great-stories-know-failu_3048638.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/donald-miller-607_education_people-who-live-great-stories-know-failu_3048638.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People who live great stories know failure isn’t a judgment, it’s an education.” — Donald Miller",
                "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": "Donald Miller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People who live great stories know...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/people-who-live-great-stories-know-failure-isn-t-a-judgment-it-s-an/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/people-who-live-great-stories-know-failure-isn-t-a-judgment-it-s-an/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
