--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father always told me that I was going…" description: "\"My father always told me that I was going to be a failure - I think he was more talking about himself, but I didn't know it at the time.\" — Frank Gehry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/frank-gehry-2139_failure_my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-goin_1448034.png" --- # My father always told me that I was going to be a failure… ![“My father always told me that I was going to be a failure - I think he was more talking about himself, but I didn't know it at the time.” quote by Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/frank-gehry-2139_failure_my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-goin_1448034.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/frank-gehry-2139_failure_my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-goin_1448034.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/frank-gehry-2139_failure_my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-goin_1448034.png) > “My father always told me that I was going to be a failure - I think he was more talking about himself, but I didn't know it at the time.” [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parental criticism often reflects the critic’s own insecurities, not the child’s abilities **In simple terms:** Criticism may say more about the speaker Key Takeaway Recognize and separate external negativity from self-worth Themes family self-esteem psychology Mood reflective empathetic motivational Type personal psychological When to use this quote - career development - personal growth - creative work - family dynamics Key Concepts projection self-fulfilling prophecy identity Questions to Reflect On - What internal narratives shape your response to criticism? - How can you turn negative remarks into self-improvement? A Different Perspective May overlook genuine constructive feedback; context matters ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-think-992675/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-told/) [Going Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-failure-439499/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. —Winston Churchill”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-parazynski/success-consists-of-going-from-failure-to-failure-without-loss-of/) [Scott Parazynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-parazynski/) > [Whatever you can handle, it's up to you. Pick something where you are going to do it to failure--in other words, where you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/whatever-you-can-handle-it-s-up-to-you-pick-something-where-you-are/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [Success in what you want consists of going from failure to failure without losing hope. 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Love is the only thing that's going to pull you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-harris/the-love-you-have-for-what-you-re-doing-is-actually-the-most/) [Jonathan Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-harris/) > [Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/success-is-going-from-failure-to-failure-without-a-loss-of-enthusiam/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/success-is-going-from-failure-to-failure-without-a-loss-of-enthusiasm/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Success consists of going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/success-consists-of-going-from-failure-to-failure-without-losing/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [As an individual, I have no fear of failure... I think that translates on-screen in my performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taapsee-pannu/as-an-individual-i-have-no-fear-of-failure-i-think-that-translates-on/) [Taapsee Pannu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taapsee-pannu/) > [“I don’t think anyone who tries something they love is a failure. I think it’s the people who don’t try who are failures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-culbertson/i-don-t-think-anyone-who-tries-something-they-love-is-a-failure-i/) [Kim Culbertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-culbertson/) > [The power to command frequently causes failure to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/the-power-to-command-frequently-causes-failure-to-think/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) ## More by Frank Gehry > [I think my attitudes about the past are very traditional. You can't ignore history; you can't escape it even if you want to. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-think-my-attitudes-about-the-past-are-very-traditional-you-can-t/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [In Tokyo, London or Los Angeles people go into McDonald's and the restaurants are identical and people are comfortable. It's unthreatening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/in-tokyo-london-or-los-angeles-people-go-into-mcdonald-s-and-the/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [I'm inspired by a lot of stuff. I always was interested in sculpture and painting and music and literature and all those things. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-m-inspired-by-a-lot-of-stuff-i-always-was-interested-in-sculpture/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [One of my greatest influences is the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/one-of-my-greatest-influences-is-the-italian-artist-gian-lorenzo/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [People live and work in uninspiring environments, but look inside those rooms. Look at the painted walls and the decorations. People rebel even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/people-live-and-work-in-uninspiring-environments-but-look-inside/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our individuality and preparation for human interaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-expression-of-our/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [Ideas exist in the marketplace; they are thrown out for everyone to use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/ideas-exist-in-the-marketplace-they-are-thrown-out-for-everyone-to-use/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [Green issues have been used as a marketing tool. 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It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-found-myself-starting-architecture-with-a-deep-social-jewish/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [The message I hope to have sent is just the example of being yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/the-message-i-hope-to-have-sent-is-just-the-example-of-being-yourself/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [The whole can be greater than the sum of it's parts, that we all have something to put in the pie to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/the-whole-can-be-greater-than-the-sum-of-it-s-parts-that-we-all-have/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [I used to sketch - that's the way I thought out loud. Then they made a book of my sketches, and I got self-conscious,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-used-to-sketch-that-s-the-way-i-thought-out-loud-then-they-made-a/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [Bilbao opened in 1997. It was only ten years later that I was asked to do another museum. A lot of other people got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/bilbao-opened-in-1997-it-was-only-ten-years-later-that-i-was-asked-to/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) [Explore all 183 Frank Gehry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) ## 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": "My father always told me that I was going to be a failure - I think he was more talking about himself, but I didn't know it at the time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Gehry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-failure-i-think-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-failure-i-think-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/frank-gehry-2139_failure_my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-goin_1448034.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/frank-gehry-2139_failure_my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-goin_1448034.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/frank-gehry-2139_failure_my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-goin_1448034.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My father always told me that I was going to be a failure - I think he was more talking about himself, but I…” — Frank Gehry", "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": "Frank Gehry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My father always told me that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-failure-i-think-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/my-father-always-told-me-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-failure-i-think-he/#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 } } ] } ```