--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But you decided I was going to fail…" description: "\"“But you decided I was going to fail before I even had the chance to try.”\" — Helen Harper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/helen-harper-29706_fail_but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-befo_2959872.jpg" --- # But you decided I was going to fail before I even had the… ![“But you decided I was going to fail before I even had the chance to try.” quote by Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/helen-harper-29706_fail_but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-befo_2959872.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/helen-harper-29706_fail_but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-befo_2959872.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/helen-harper-29706_fail_but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-befo_2959872.jpg) > ““But you decided I was going to fail before I even had the chance to try.”” [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker feels judged and expected to fail before any effort is made, highlighting premature judgment. **In simple terms:** People assumed I would fail before I tried. Key Takeaway Resist premature judgments. Themes self‑esteem confidence perseverance Mood frustrated determined Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - job interview - new project - personal goal - team collaboration Key Concepts psychology bias self‑fulfilling prophecy Questions to Reflect On - How do you confront expectations that limit you? - What evidence can you gather to prove them wrong? A Different Perspective Assumptions can become self‑fulfilling if not challenged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-try-1645411/) [Decided Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided-going/) [Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) [Fail Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-chance-2558115/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Going Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-fail/) ## Related quotes > [If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/if-you-know-you-are-going-to-fail-then-fail-gloriously/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [I've always wanted to call the shots because I would rather fail than not have a chance to figure it out on my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-favreau/i-ve-always-wanted-to-call-the-shots-because-i-would-rather-fail-than/) [Jon Favreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-favreau/) > [“​It's Hard, Not to Fail, but, there is Always a Chance of Success. Of course, there is No Chance of Success, if You didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/it-s-hard-not-to-fail-but-there-is-always-a-chance-of-success-of/) [Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/) > [They can call me crazy if I fail, all the chance that I need, is one-in-a-million and they can call me brilliant if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/they-can-call-me-crazy-if-i-fail-all-the-chance-that-i-need-is-one-in/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [You can not achieve success without the risk of failure. If you are not afraid to fail, than you have a chance, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-heyman/you-can-not-achieve-success-without-the-risk-of-failure-if-you-are/) [Paul Heyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-heyman/) > [At some point, we all have to decide how we are going to fail: by not going far enough, or by going too far.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-rubin/at-some-point-we-all-have-to-decide-how-we-are-going-to-fail-by-not/) [Harriet Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-rubin/) > [It isn't that every company is going to be successful. The law of averages shows that 80% of companies are going to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-carter/it-isn-t-that-every-company-is-going-to-be-successful-the-law-of/) [Troy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-carter/) > [I'm just not willing to give up on myself. If I'm going to fail, then I want to fail to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-m-just-not-willing-to-give-up-on-myself-if-i-m-going-to-fail-then-i/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [My mantra is: Realize you're going to fail all the time, and accept it. That doesn't mean I'm not frightened of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-burnett/my-mantra-is-realize-you-re-going-to-fail-all-the-time-and-accept-it/) [Mark Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-burnett/) > [When you start very young and you start to work, you're going to fail. That's how you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-tans/when-you-start-very-young-and-you-start-to-work-you-re-going-to-fail/) [Gillian Tans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-tans/) > [Without the right attitude, a business with everything going for it will fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-heller/without-the-right-attitude-a-business-with-everything-going-for-it/) [Robert Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-heller/) > [You keep on going if you fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ramsey/you-keep-on-going-if-you-fail/) [Laura Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ramsey/) > [I don't believe in a price on carbon, because the government is going to control it and they're going to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-boone-pickens/i-don-t-believe-in-a-price-on-carbon-because-the-government-is-going/) [T. Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) > [We all have to decide how we are going to fail, by not going far enough or by going too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-redstone/we-all-have-to-decide-how-we-are-going-to-fail-by-not-going-far/) [Sumner Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumner-redstone/) > [You have to be able to be a good loser. You have to be okay knowing you're going to fail every day in something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/you-have-to-be-able-to-be-a-good-loser-you-have-to-be-okay-knowing/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) ## More by Helen Harper > [“From somewhere above me, there was an irritated hiss. ‘Food.’ I strained my head upwards. ‘Hi, Brutus.’ His yellow eyes stared down at me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/from-somewhere-above-me-there-was-an-irritated-hiss-food-i-strained/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“Death is quick. It’s the end. And everyone dies. It’s not punishment because it’s inevitable.’ Bob”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/death-is-quick-it-s-the-end-and-everyone-dies-it-s-not-punishment/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“Afford me a very enjoyable view of his arse, which was a particularly tight and well-rounded specimen. He might have had a rod jammed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/afford-me-a-very-enjoyable-view-of-his-arse-which-was-a-particularly/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“There was a brief mutter from underneath the table. ‘Thank fuck,’ Brutus said. ‘We need to depart this hellhole tout suite.’ I started and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/there-was-a-brief-mutter-from-underneath-the-table-thank-fuck-brutus/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“I abandoned the plan to make millions from the spell when I realised that people would finally realise their cats are selfish little bastards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/i-abandoned-the-plan-to-make-millions-from-the-spell-when-i-realised/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“soft and sweet to look at with a prickly personality and a streak of defiant personality. I smirked. Kitten. It suited her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/soft-and-sweet-to-look-at-with-a-prickly-personality-and-a-streak-of/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“I pulled out, making the driver in the battered BMW coming up behind me gesture in my direction with an angry scowl. Now, now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/i-pulled-out-making-the-driver-in-the-battered-bmw-coming-up-behind/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“I don't think I'm in love with you; I know I'm in love with you. We have nothing in common, but I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/i-don-t-think-i-m-in-love-with-you-i-know-i-m-in-love-with-you-we/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“You should count yourself lucky,’ she grinned. ‘I’m far too much like hard work.’ It was on the tip of Winter’s tongue to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/you-should-count-yourself-lucky-she-grinned-i-m-far-too-much-like/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“Thank fuck,’ Brutus said. ‘We need to depart this hellhole tout suite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/thank-fuck-brutus-said-we-need-to-depart-this-hellhole-tout-suite/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“Harold,’ I called. ‘Harold! It’s Ivy from down the hall.’ The cat didn’t answer. Perhaps I was being too familiar with the familiar. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/harold-i-called-harold-it-s-ivy-from-down-the-hall-the-cat-didn-t/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“Herblorists enjoyed long-winded arguments about which type of salt was most effective. I had heard that the Order even employed a selmelier, like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/herblorists-enjoyed-long-winded-arguments-about-which-type-of-salt/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“I order three martinis and down them in quick succession, shuddering at the strength of the alcohol. When they don’t immediately work, I order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/i-order-three-martinis-and-down-them-in-quick-succession-shuddering/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“Pet,’ Brutus repeated. ‘Bitch.’ ‘Don’t be offended,’ I said. ‘He calls everyone that.’ I winked at Brutus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/pet-brutus-repeated-bitch-don-t-be-offended-i-said-he-calls-everyone/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) > [“What drives society forward is having a strong backbone of people willing to do the jobs that their leaders don’t want to dirty their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/what-drives-society-forward-is-having-a-strong-backbone-of-people/) [Helen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) [Explore all 17 Helen Harper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/) ## More Fail quotes > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Would you like a side of epic with that fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabi/would-you-like-a-side-of-epic-with-that-fail/) [Gabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabi/) > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [If you have a good idea you must explain it or you will fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-have-a-good-idea-you-must-explain-it-or-you-will-fail/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [What I want is to be willing to fail rather than stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/what-i-want-is-to-be-willing-to-fail-rather-than-stagnate/) [James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/) > [“If you die, I will find you. I will never leave you. I will never let you go. I will not let you fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/if-you-die-i-will-find-you-i-will-never-leave-you-i-will-never-let/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“The worst outcome of not trying is never getting to fail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-gary-smith/the-worst-outcome-of-not-trying-is-never-getting-to-fail/) [Phillip Gary Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-gary-smith/) > [“Many people fail in their career, business and relationship, and others get stuck because of their inability to make quality decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkem-mpamah/many-people-fail-in-their-career-business-and-relationship-and-others/) [Nkem Mpamah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkem-mpamah/) > [“Quitters don’t gain what they have started working on; waiters don’t start what they could have gained. What is common there is failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/quitters-don-t-gain-what-they-have-started-working-on-waiters-don-t/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [This is my most important role. If I fail at this, I fail at everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/this-is-my-most-important-role-if-i-fail-at-this-i-fail-at-everything/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Sunscreen is something that I think a lot of people fail to incorporate into their beauty routines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zegler/sunscreen-is-something-that-i-think-a-lot-of-people-fail-to/) [Rachel Zegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zegler/) > [Never give up on something just because you think you might fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-lee-reed-jr/never-give-up-on-something-just-because-you-think-you-might-fail/) [Jimmy Lee Reed Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-lee-reed-jr/) > [The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-cruise-o-brien/the-main-thing-that-endears-the-united-nations-to-member-governments/) [Conor Cruise O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-cruise-o-brien/) [Browse all 2,202 Fail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But you decided I was going to fail before I even had the chance to try.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Helen Harper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-before-i-even-had-the-chance-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fail" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-before-i-even-had-the-chance-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/helen-harper-29706_fail_but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-befo_2959872.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/helen-harper-29706_fail_but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-befo_2959872.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/helen-harper-29706_fail_but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-befo_2959872.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But you decided I was going to fail before I even had the chance to try.” — Helen Harper", "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": "Helen Harper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-harper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But you decided I was going...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-before-i-even-had-the-chance-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-harper/but-you-decided-i-was-going-to-fail-before-i-even-had-the-chance-to/#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 } } ] } ```