--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing." description: "\"I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing.\" — Harry Chapin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/harry-chapin-8482_failure_i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothin_1241657.png" --- # I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing. ![“I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing.” quote by Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/harry-chapin-8482_failure_i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothin_1241657.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/harry-chapin-8482_failure_i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothin_1241657.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/harry-chapin-8482_failure_i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothin_1241657.png) > “I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing.” [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Taking action, even imperfectly, is better than stagnation; learning comes from experience. **In simple terms:** Mistakes beat in. Key Takeaway Act, learn, improve. Themes action growth risk Mood motivational encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - career moves - creative endeavors - personal projects Key Concepts self‑development learning theory Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take now? - How do you handle mistakes? A Different Perspective Fear of failure can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-mistake-257623/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) ## Related quotes > [If loving you is a big mistake, I will never ever want to be right,i will always make the same mistake over and over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horla/if-loving-you-is-a-big-mistake-i-will-never-ever-want-to-be-right-i/) [Horla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horla/) > [No one knows anything. You're going to make mistakes and you're going to do things that people think are stupid. You can't sit there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/no-one-knows-anything-you-re-going-to-make-mistakes-and-you-re-going/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [Don't make the mistake of thinking you're Facebook's customer, you're not – you're the product,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/don-t-make-the-mistake-of-thinking-you-re-facebook-s-customer-you-re/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [If I make a mistake, I’m going to make a mistake aggressively and I’m going to make it quickly. I don’t believe in sleeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo/if-i-make-a-mistake-i-m-going-to-make-a-mistake-aggressively-and-i-m/) [Bo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo/) > [When you make a mistake, you have to admit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/when-you-make-a-mistake-you-have-to-admit-it/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [“Every woman should make one mistake matrimonially. - Alex Restarick”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/every-woman-should-make-one-mistake-matrimonially-alex-restarick/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [My mother taught me this trick: if you repeat something over and over again it loses its meaning, for example homework homework homework homework…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mother-taught-me-this-trick-if-you-repeat-something-over-and-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To make a mistake is only human; to persist in a mistake is idiotic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cicero/to-make-a-mistake-is-only-human-to-persist-in-a-mistake-is-idiotic/) [Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cicero/) > [If you make a mistake, it doesn't mean you're a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/if-you-make-a-mistake-it-doesn-t-mean-you-re-a-mistake/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/it-s-only-those-who-do-nothing-that-make-no-mistakes-i-suppose/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [If we make mistakes, as we all do - don't run from God, run to Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/if-we-make-mistakes-as-we-all-do-don-t-run-from-god-run-to-him/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) > [Say to yourself: 'Living essentially to please others is a monumental mistake.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-robinson/say-to-yourself-living-essentially-to-please-others-is-a-monumental/) [George Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-robinson/) > [“Make no mistake, I will hurt you to protect you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-reiss/make-no-mistake-i-will-hurt-you-to-protect-you/) [C.D. Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-reiss/) > [Everybody makes mistakes. You have to be careful when you make your mistakes. Now is not a good time to make a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-markakis/everybody-makes-mistakes-you-have-to-be-careful-when-you-make-your/) [Nick Markakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-markakis/) ## More by Harry Chapin > [All my life's a circle; But I can't tell you why; Season's spinning round again; The years keep rollin' by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/all-my-life-s-a-circle-but-i-can-t-tell-you-why-season-s-spinning/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [When I started this song I was still thirty-three The age that Mozart died and sweet Jesus was set free Keats and Shelley too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/when-i-started-this-song-i-was-still-thirty-three-the-age-that-mozart/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [You see, she was gonna be an actress and I was gonna learn to fly. She took off to find the footlights, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/you-see-she-was-gonna-be-an-actress-and-i-was-gonna-learn-to-fly-she/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [And the look on her face as she opened the door Was like an old joke told by a friend. It'd taken ten more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/and-the-look-on-her-face-as-she-opened-the-door-was-like-an-old-joke/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [She knows more of love than the poets can say, and her eyes offer something that won't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/she-knows-more-of-love-than-the-poets-can-say-and-her-eyes-offer/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [All of us should be involved in our own futures to create a world that our children will want to live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/all-of-us-should-be-involved-in-our-own-futures-to-create-a-world/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [No straight lines make up my life; And all my roads have bends; There's no clear-cut beginnings; And so far no dead-ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/no-straight-lines-make-up-my-life-and-all-my-roads-have-bends-there-s/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [Good dreams don't come cheap You've got to pay for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/good-dreams-don-t-come-cheap-you-ve-got-to-pay-for-them/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [Why did the little girls grow crippled While the little boys grow strong The boys allowed to come of age The girls just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/why-did-the-little-girls-grow-crippled-while-the-little-boys-grow/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [The reason nobody else in my business has any impact is because they're all comatose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/the-reason-nobody-else-in-my-business-has-any-impact-is-because-they/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [When you're going nowhere, anywhere's a better place to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/when-you-re-going-nowhere-anywhere-s-a-better-place-to-be/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/what-i-d-really-like-dad-is-to-borrow-the-car-keys/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [Strum your guitar sing it kid Just write about your feelings not the things you never did Inexperience, it once had cursed me But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/strum-your-guitar-sing-it-kid-just-write-about-your-feelings-not-the/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [There are lessons to life That the lovers got to learn There are corners out there You know they're waitin' somewhere And you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/there-are-lessons-to-life-that-the-lovers-got-to-learn-there-are/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) > [Remember when the music Came from wooden boxes strung with silver wire And as we sang the words, it would set our minds on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/remember-when-the-music-came-from-wooden-boxes-strung-with-silver/) [Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) [Explore all 80 Harry Chapin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/) ## 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'd rather make a mistake than do nothing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harry Chapin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/harry-chapin-8482_failure_i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothin_1241657.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/harry-chapin-8482_failure_i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothin_1241657.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/harry-chapin-8482_failure_i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothin_1241657.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing.” — Harry Chapin", "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": "Harry Chapin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd rather make a mistake than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/i-d-rather-make-a-mistake-than-do-nothing/#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 } } ] } ```