--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I tried and failed. I tried again and…" description: "\"“I tried and failed. I tried again and again and succeeded. [Epitaph from Gail Borden's gravestone.]”\" — Gail Borden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/gail-borden-238779_determination_i-tried-and-failed-i-tried-again-and-aga_2162606.jpg" --- # I tried and failed. I tried again and again and succeeded… ![“I tried and failed. I tried again and again and succeeded. [Epitaph from Gail Borden's gravestone.]” quote by Gail Borden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/gail-borden-238779_determination_i-tried-and-failed-i-tried-again-and-aga_2162606.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/gail-borden-238779_determination_i-tried-and-failed-i-tried-again-and-aga_2162606.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/gail-borden-238779_determination_i-tried-and-failed-i-tried-again-and-aga_2162606.jpg) > ““I tried and failed. I tried again and again and succeeded. \[Epitaph from Gail Borden's gravestone.\]”” Gail Borden ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistence through repeated failure leads to eventual success, illustrated by an epitaph celebrating perseverance. **In simple terms:** Persistence yields success. Key Takeaway Keep trying despite setbacks. Themes persistence failure success determination resilience Mood determined hopeful Type Determination:1 Epitaph:0 Failure:1 Gravestone:0 Inventor:0 Persistence:1 Resilience:1 Success:1 Failed Tried:0 Tried Failed:0 Succeeded Epitaph:0 Epitaph Gail:0 Borden Gravestone:0 When to use this quote - goal setting - overcoming setbacks - motivational speaking Key Concepts self‑help biography Questions to Reflect On - What keeps you motivated? - How do you handle repeated failure? A Different Perspective Success may still be uncertain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Epitaph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epitaph/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Gravestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravestone/) [Inventor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventor/) [Persistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persistence/) [Resilience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resilience/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all. 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It has never been tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clayton-powell-jr/no-one-can-say-christianity-has-failed-it-has-never-been-tried/) [Adam Clayton Powell, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clayton-powell-jr/) > [“This is not the life I want or who I want to be but I don’t know anything else. I have tried to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/this-is-not-the-life-i-want-or-who-i-want-to-be-but-i-don-t-know/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [When all else failed, she tried being reasonable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-all-else-failed-she-tried-being-reasonable/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. In the past, whenever I had fallen short in almost any undertaking, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-gordon-webster/be-bold-and-mighty-forces-will-come-to-your-aid-in-the-past-whenever/) [Arthur Gordon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-gordon-webster/) > [It's better to have tried and failed… Than wondering one day… What if?!?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nickey-noeth/it-s-better-to-have-tried-and-failed-than-wondering-one-day-what-if/) [Nickey Noeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nickey-noeth/) > [“I tried, dearest. I tried and failed. It seems that failure is what I’m best at. I couldn’t save them, I couldn’t save you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ward/i-tried-dearest-i-tried-and-failed-it-seems-that-failure-is-what-i-m/) [Keith Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ward/) > [“I would rather listen to someone who tried and failed than someone who dreamed but never tried.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coletta/i-would-rather-listen-to-someone-who-tried-and-failed-than-someone/) [Jennifer Coletta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coletta/) > [I tried and failed at doing stand-up on my own in 2002 but I hadn't found my voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-key/i-tried-and-failed-at-doing-stand-up-on-my-own-in-2002-but-i-hadn-t/) [Tim Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-key/) > [I followed my heart and figured that if I tried and failed, at least I'd know that I tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-branch/i-followed-my-heart-and-figured-that-if-i-tried-and-failed-at-least-i/) [Michelle Branch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-branch/) > [Many Haters Have Tried and Failed. Come Get Some!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/being-real/many-haters-have-tried-and-failed-come-get-some/) Being Real > [“She tried not to slip her arms beneath his trench coat, or spread her palms across his broad, muscular back, or inhale the delicious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-faegen/she-tried-not-to-slip-her-arms-beneath-his-trench-coat-or-spread-her/) [Trinity Faegen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-faegen/) > [The possible has been tried and failed. Now it's time to try the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/the-possible-has-been-tried-and-failed-now-it-s-time-to-try-the/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) ## More Determination 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 > [In 1990, when they asked me to shoot a cover for 'British Vogue' to convey my personal vision of a woman, I explained that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lindbergh/in-1990-when-they-asked-me-to-shoot-a-cover-for-british-vogue-to/) [Peter Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lindbergh/) > [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. 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El-Mawardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherif-a-el-mawardy/) > [“Fate and future both are servant to the determined, for they are nothing but creation of human determination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fate-and-future-both-are-servant-to-the-determined-for-they-are/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [“She felt wild and unruly, determined and free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/she-felt-wild-and-unruly-determined-and-free/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [“The real failure is not the one who falls down, it's the one who refuses to get up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habeeb-akande/the-real-failure-is-not-the-one-who-falls-down-it-s-the-one-who/) [Habeeb Akande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habeeb-akande/) > [“I AM ALL ABOUT SELF-DETERMINATION. Will. Control. I determine my path in life. I decide my failures and successes. Screw fate. Destiny can kiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/i-am-all-about-self-determination-will-control-i-determine-my-path-in/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) [Browse all 3,068 Determination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I tried and failed. I tried again and again and succeeded. 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