--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone ... is scared and messy with a…" description: "\"“Everyone ... is scared and messy with a history of failures; it's just that only some of us show it on the outside too.”\" — Emily Colson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/emily-colson-86986_failure_everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-hist_512741.jpg" --- # Everyone ... is scared and messy with a history of… ![“Everyone ... is scared and messy with a history of failures; it's just that only some of us show it on the outside too.” quote by Emily Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/emily-colson-86986_failure_everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-hist_512741.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/emily-colson-86986_failure_everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-hist_512741.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/emily-colson-86986_failure_everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-hist_512741.jpg) > ““Everyone ... is scared and messy with a history of failures; it's just that only some of us show it on the outside too.”” [Emily Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-colson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People hide their failures, but everyone carries messy histories; openness is rare. **In simple terms:** Everyone hides their messy pasts. Key Takeaway Embrace vulnerability. Themes psychology self‑acceptance humanity Mood empathetic thoughtful Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - team building - public speaking - creative workshops Key Concepts imperfection authenticity social stigma Questions to Reflect On - How does vulnerability strengthen relationships? - What steps help reveal hidden struggles? A Different Perspective Fear of judgment may prevent sharing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failures Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures-just-979672/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-failures-3477044/) [Messy History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messy-history-1577540/) [Scared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scared/) [Scared Messy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scared-messy-4341927/) ## Related quotes > [“I don't want them to focus on my outlaw tendencies. If they knew what a long, messy history I have of doing the opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/i-don-t-want-them-to-focus-on-my-outlaw-tendencies-if-they-knew-what/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) > [Maybe it's understandable what a history of failures America's foreign policy has been. We are, after all, a country full of people who came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/maybe-it-s-understandable-what-a-history-of-failures-america-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“A story is built from the things that did not happen as much as from the things that did. Evolution is a history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-j-walker/a-story-is-built-from-the-things-that-did-not-happen-as-much-as-from/) [Adrian J. Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-j-walker/) > [Failure is nothing but success trying to be born in a bigger way. Most seeming failures are just installments toward victory!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ponder/failure-is-nothing-but-success-trying-to-be-born-in-a-bigger-way-most/) [Catherine Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ponder/) > [“We'll all be failures?" "Yes. 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But you must be willing to contemplate them, ask what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-rydall/failures-give-us-wisdom-your-failures-are-just-as-valuable-and-rich/) [Derek Rydall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-rydall/) > [There are no failures - just experiences and your reactions to them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-krause/there-are-no-failures-just-experiences-and-your-reactions-to-them/) [Tom Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-krause/) > [“Failures are just the rest stops on your highway to Success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-wray/failures-are-just-the-rest-stops-on-your-highway-to-success/) [Gayle Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-wray/) > [I just see the opportunities and I go for them. I don't want to play my career safe. I've had my successes and I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-crews/i-just-see-the-opportunities-and-i-go-for-them-i-don-t-want-to-play/) [Terry Crews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-crews/) > [“Are we all destined to die as failures? Just”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/are-we-all-destined-to-die-as-failures-just/) [Elisabeth Kübler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) > [Mistakes and failures are just signs that point you in the right direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/mistakes-and-failures-are-just-signs-that-point-you-in-the-right/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Errors, failures, They are just experiences that will obligate you to evolve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-llamas/errors-failures-they-are-just-experiences-that-will-obligate-you-to/) [Roberto Llamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-llamas/) > [“These aren’t me!” I screamed in a whisper, two tears slipping down my cheeks. “Whatever you see, it’s not me. I’m just a fuck-up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-c-gormley/these-aren-t-me-i-screamed-in-a-whisper-two-tears-slipping-down-my/) [Amelia C. Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-c-gormley/) > [I'm not scared of anything in particular, but I am motivated by a fear of failure as opposed to a need to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heston-blumenthal/i-m-not-scared-of-anything-in-particular-but-i-am-motivated-by-a-fear/) [Heston Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heston-blumenthal/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) ## More by Emily Colson > [“When I finally made it across the dune, I found her gazing at the ocean and holding a weathered fence post as if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/when-i-finally-made-it-across-the-dune-i-found-her-gazing-at-the/) [Emily Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-colson/) > [“The Bible is layered, incredibly complex, and yet perfectly simple. But your heart has to be open to truly "read" it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/the-bible-is-layered-incredibly-complex-and-yet-perfectly-simple-but/) [Emily Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-colson/) [Explore all 3 Emily Colson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-colson/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“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/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Everyone ... is scared and messy with a history of failures; it's just that only some of us show it on the outside too.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emily Colson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-history-of-failures-it-s-just/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-history-of-failures-it-s-just/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/emily-colson-86986_failure_everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-hist_512741.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/emily-colson-86986_failure_everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-hist_512741.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/emily-colson-86986_failure_everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-hist_512741.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everyone ... is scared and messy with a history of failures; it's just that only some of us show it on the…” — Emily Colson", "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": "Emily Colson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-colson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Everyone ... is scared and messy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-history-of-failures-it-s-just/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-history-of-failures-it-s-just/#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 } } ] } ```