--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I honestly think it is better to be a…" description: "\"I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.\" — George Burns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/george-burns-2737_failure_i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-fa_1139802.png" --- # I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something… ![“I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.” quote by George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/george-burns-2737_failure_i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-fa_1139802.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/george-burns-2737_failure_i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-fa_1139802.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/george-burns-2737_failure_i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-fa_1139802.png) > “I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.” [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing passion over comfort leads to a more authentic life even if it includes failure. **In simple terms:** Better to fail at love than succeed at hate. Key Takeaway Prioritize love over safety. Themes authenticity passion failure success Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - relationships - creative projects - personal growth Key Concepts Existential choice value alignment Questions to Reflect On - What would you risk for love? - How does fear of failure limit you? A Different Perspective Failure may cause financial or social setbacks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-failure-1709056/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-love-413490/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-hate-1957197/) [Think Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-better-231244/) ## Related quotes > [It is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/it-is-better-to-be-a-failure-at-something-you-love-than-to-be-a/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-d-rather-be-a-failure-at-something-i-love-than-a-success-at/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [I'd rather be a failure in something that I love than a success in something that I hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-d-rather-be-a-failure-in-something-that-i-love-than-a-success-in/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Its better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hat!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/its-better-to-be-a-failure-at-something-you-love-than-to-be-a-success/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Its better to be a failure at something you love than to succeed at doing something you hate. Dont let someone who gave up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalinli/its-better-to-be-a-failure-at-something-you-love-than-to-succeed-at/) [Nalinli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalinli/) > [Its better to be a failure at something you love than to succeed at doing something you hate. Dont ever let anyone who gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orebela-gbenga/its-better-to-be-a-failure-at-something-you-love-than-to-succeed-at-2/) [Orebela Gbenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orebela-gbenga/) > [There's a spectrum of those moments of connection and the moments we fail to connect, going from super-large successes to failures. Success would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/there-s-a-spectrum-of-those-moments-of-connection-and-the-moments-we/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [Fall in love with what you're going to do for a living. To be able to get out of bed and do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/fall-in-love-with-what-you-re-going-to-do-for-a-living-to-be-able-to/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-be-a-failure-at-something-i-enjoy-than-a-success-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's our nature: Human beings like success but they hate successful people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/it-s-our-nature-human-beings-like-success-but-they-hate-successful/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [Everybody loves success, but they hate successful people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/everybody-loves-success-but-they-hate-successful-people/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [“Some people hate you because of your success, and they will always hate you even if you give them everything you possess.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouloud-benzadi/some-people-hate-you-because-of-your-success-and-they-will-always/) [Mouloud Benzadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouloud-benzadi/) > [I think Americans love success - but hate the people who have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-winsor/i-think-americans-love-success-but-hate-the-people-who-have-it/) [Kathleen Winsor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-winsor/) > [We worship education but hate learning. We worship success but hate the successful. We worship fame but hate the famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-king/we-worship-education-but-hate-learning-we-worship-success-but-hate/) [Florence King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-king/) > [Success is better than failure; an attempt is a better attempt, it is better as an attempt, if competent than if incompetent; and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-sosa/success-is-better-than-failure-an-attempt-is-a-better-attempt-it-is/) [Ernest Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-sosa/) ## More by George Burns > [Everyday happiness means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/everyday-happiness-means-getting-up-in-the-morning-and-you-can-t-wait/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Being an actor is easy, just picture someone in a room and you outside waiting for your cue to go in. Elliot Gould's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/being-an-actor-is-easy-just-picture-someone-in-a-room-and-you-outside/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Sex can be fun after eighty, after ninety, and after lunch!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/sex-can-be-fun-after-eighty-after-ninety-and-after-lunch/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Too bad all the people who know how to run this country are busy running taxicabs or cutting hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/too-bad-all-the-people-who-know-how-to-run-this-country-are-busy/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [At my age flowers scare me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/at-my-age-flowers-scare-me/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [I was brought up to respect my elders, so now I don't have to respect anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-was-brought-up-to-respect-my-elders-so-now-i-don-t-have-to-respect/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [What actresses do today when they appear on the screen is what they did once upon a time for getting to appear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/what-actresses-do-today-when-they-appear-on-the-screen-is-what-they/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [If you were married to Marilyn Monroe, you'd cheat with some ugly girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/if-you-were-married-to-marilyn-monroe-you-d-cheat-with-some-ugly-girl/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [I find you have to take each day as it comes and be thankful for who's left and whatever you can still do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-find-you-have-to-take-each-day-as-it-comes-and-be-thankful-for-who/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Take care not to wear stripes that are out of sync with your wrinkles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/take-care-not-to-wear-stripes-that-are-out-of-sync-with-your-wrinkles/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [ By \[age\] 93, I had shrunk quite a lot. My car was known as the Phantom Cadillac. People would see it whizzing by and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/by-age-93-i-had-shrunk-quite-a-lot-my-car-was-known-as-the-phantom/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [I drink coffee with my right hand, and I smoke with my left. But I talk with both hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-drink-coffee-with-my-right-hand-and-i-smoke-with-my-left-but-i-talk/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Nice to be here? At my age it's nice to be anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/nice-to-be-here-at-my-age-it-s-nice-to-be-anywhere/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Be sure to wear a good cologne, a nice aftershave lotion, and a strong underarm deodorant. And it might be a good idea to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/be-sure-to-wear-a-good-cologne-a-nice-aftershave-lotion-and-a-strong/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [My best advice: Fall in love with what you do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/my-best-advice-fall-in-love-with-what-you-do-for-a-living/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) [Explore all 151 George Burns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) ## 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": "I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Burns" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-failure-at-something-you-love/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-failure-at-something-you-love/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/george-burns-2737_failure_i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-fa_1139802.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/george-burns-2737_failure_i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-fa_1139802.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/george-burns-2737_failure_i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-fa_1139802.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you…” — George Burns", "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": "George Burns", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I honestly think it is better...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-failure-at-something-you-love/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-honestly-think-it-is-better-to-be-a-failure-at-something-you-love/#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 } } ] } ```