--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A \"take\" is an opportunity to fail…" description: "\"A \"take\" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.\" — Dustin Hoffman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/dustin-hoffman-4662_fail_a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we_42955.jpg" --- # A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that… ![“A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.” quote by Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/dustin-hoffman-4662_fail_a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we_42955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/dustin-hoffman-4662_fail_a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we_42955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/dustin-hoffman-4662_fail_a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we_42955.jpg) > “A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.” [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes that taking initiative carries inherent risk of failure, challenging the pressure to be flawless. **In simple terms:** Risk is inherent in action. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection when acting. Themes risk growth failure initiative perfectionism Mood determined reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - entrepreneurial ventures - creative projects - career decisions - personal challenges Key Concepts psychology motivation Practical Applications - innovation - personal development Questions to Reflect On - How does fear of failure limit your actions? - What can you learn from imperfect attempts? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [We do wrong willfully when we fail to think hard about whether what we're doing is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/we-do-wrong-willfully-when-we-fail-to-think-hard-about-whether-what/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [“Every time we have opportunity and fail to live up to that truth which is within us, every time we fail to express a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/every-time-we-have-opportunity-and-fail-to-live-up-to-that-truth/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [I wanted to go to AEW and then I can sink or swim on my own merit. I have the opportunity to get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-wanted-to-go-to-aew-and-then-i-can-sink-or-swim-on-my-own-merit-i/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [If we don't give kids the opportunity to fail when they're growing up, and to fail productively, to fail creatively, that they're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/if-we-don-t-give-kids-the-opportunity-to-fail-when-they-re-growing-up/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [I'm a strong believer that you have to have an equal opportunity to fail and to try things that are hard. I always tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-a-strong-believer-that-you-have-to-have-an-equal-opportunity-to/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Faith causes changes. Anytime there is change, there is opportunity, including the opportunity to fail. But failing can be a step toward completion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/faith-causes-changes-anytime-there-is-change-there-is-opportunity/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [“Do you know the opportunity you get when you fail? It is starting again - an opportunity to perform better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogwo-david-emenike/do-you-know-the-opportunity-you-get-when-you-fail-it-is-starting/) [Ogwo David Emenike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogwo-david-emenike/) > [When given the opportunity to fail myself or fail someone else, I choose to fail myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/when-given-the-opportunity-to-fail-myself-or-fail-someone-else-i/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [“Bono: But you write. Why do you write? Michka: well, because I'm unable to express things in another way. I often believe that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-michka-well-because-i-m-unable-to/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“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/) > [I think what pushes me every day is that I'm so afraid to fail. I think it comes from what I went through in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-green/i-think-what-pushes-me-every-day-is-that-i-m-so-afraid-to-fail-i/) [A. J. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-green/) > [You are epic fail if you think you are better than me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-rudess/you-are-epic-fail-if-you-think-you-are-better-than-me/) [Jordan Rudess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-rudess/) > [“It's a horrible thing to have your body fail you. You never think about it when you're young.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-a-horrible-thing-to-have-your-body-fail-you-you-never-think/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [People fail because they think big, but do not act upon their dreams; I planned my future from the start; I knew what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanishk-bagchi/people-fail-because-they-think-big-but-do-not-act-upon-their-dreams-i/) [Tanishk Bagchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanishk-bagchi/) > [When you're present, be present the best you can. Like I said, we all fail. But I think from a dad standpoint, children want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-rivers/when-you-re-present-be-present-the-best-you-can-like-i-said-we-all/) [Philip Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-rivers/) ## More by Dustin Hoffman > [Well this is aptly called a junket, for both of us. I have never been to a house of prostitution, but I understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/well-this-is-aptly-called-a-junket-for-both-of-us-i-have-never-been/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I think the most insulting thing you can do to a director is to challenge when he or she is satisfied with your interpretation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-think-the-most-insulting-thing-you-can-do-to-a-director-is-to/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [“(In response to the question: What is your least favorite word?) It's three words that we usually use as one: woulda, shoulda, coulda. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/in-response-to-the-question-what-is-your-least-favorite-word-it-s/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Many actors want to play Hamlet and Macbeth. Ever since I became an actor, from the very beginning I just wanted to play a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/many-actors-want-to-play-hamlet-and-macbeth-ever-since-i-became-an/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Blame is for God and small children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/blame-is-for-god-and-small-children/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [The truth is, the older you get, the less variety of parts you are offered. If you're a star and you've spent most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/the-truth-is-the-older-you-get-the-less-variety-of-parts-you-are/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [“I say go, go, be led. particularly If you're in your twenties, which I suspect a lot of you are in. I tell my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-say-go-go-be-led-particularly-if-you-re-in-your-twenties-which-i/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I walked out of the theater and started crying. My wife asked me, 'Why are you crying?' I said, 'Because I can't do that.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-walked-out-of-the-theater-and-started-crying-my-wife-asked-me-why/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Acting didn't solve much! If it did, I would have ended up much less crazy than I am today, but I'm not. At least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/acting-didn-t-solve-much-if-it-did-i-would-have-ended-up-much-less/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I don't like the fact that I have to get older so fast, but I like the fact that I'm aging so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-don-t-like-the-fact-that-i-have-to-get-older-so-fast-but-i-like-the/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [We need to band together as a unit every day, especially to conquer the strength of the AIDS virus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/we-need-to-band-together-as-a-unit-every-day-especially-to-conquer/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [There were a few things that went into it. When you're doing something you're trying to be your audience at the same time, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/there-were-a-few-things-that-went-into-it-when-you-re-doing-something/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [You spend so much of your life basing yourself on what you think other people think of you. Then you realise that maybe one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/you-spend-so-much-of-your-life-basing-yourself-on-what-you-think/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [My wife always says that I will be stuck with this forever: I am the difficult one. With Jack Nicholson they always said it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/my-wife-always-says-that-i-will-be-stuck-with-this-forever-i-am-the/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [It's true what they say about failure. You don't learn from success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/it-s-true-what-they-say-about-failure-you-don-t-learn-from-success/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) [Explore all 107 Dustin Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) ## 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. What is common there is failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/quitters-don-t-gain-what-they-have-started-working-on-waiters-don-t/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [This is my most important role. 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 > [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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A \"take\" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dustin Hoffman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fail" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/dustin-hoffman-4662_fail_a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we_42955.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/dustin-hoffman-4662_fail_a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we_42955.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/465/dustin-hoffman-4662_fail_a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we_42955.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A \"take\" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.” — Dustin Hoffman", "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": "Dustin Hoffman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A \"take\" is an opportunity to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/#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 } } ] } ```