--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Spurts don't count. The final score makes…" description: "\"Spurts don't count. The final score makes no mention of a splendid start if the finish proves that you were an also ran.\" — Herbert Kaufman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/234/herbert-kaufman-57181_achievement_spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes_1050687.png" --- # Spurts don't count. The final score makes no mention of a… ![“Spurts don't count. The final score makes no mention of a splendid start if the finish proves that you were an also ran.” quote by Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/234/herbert-kaufman-57181_achievement_spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes_1050687.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/234/herbert-kaufman-57181_achievement_spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes_1050687.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/234/herbert-kaufman-57181_achievement_spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes_1050687.png) > “Spurts don't count. The final score makes no mention of a splendid start if the finish proves that you were an also ran.” [Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Final outcomes matter more than early advantages; a strong finish defines success. **In simple terms:** Finish matters more than start. Key Takeaway Focus on ending strong. Themes success perseverance outcome determination Mood motivational determined Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - project completion - exam preparation - career milestones Key Concepts sports psychology goal setting resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain momentum? - What strategies ensure a strong finish? A Different Perspective Early leads can be deceptive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Splendid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splendid/) ## Related quotes > [Outcome is simply the final score: Who won the game; what numbers came up in a roll of the dice; how high did a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/outcome-is-simply-the-final-score-who-won-the-game-what-numbers-came/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Give me a lead of 14-0 at halftime and I will dictate the final score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-leahy/give-me-a-lead-of-14-0-at-halftime-and-i-will-dictate-the-final-score/) [Frank Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-leahy/) > [“The crowd and its team had finally understood that in games, as in many things, the ending, the final score, is only part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-boswell/the-crowd-and-its-team-had-finally-understood-that-in-games-as-in/) [Thomas Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-boswell/) > [Won our game tonight!! Final score 21-8. undefeated so far! 3-0!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/won-our-game-tonight-final-score-21-8-undefeated-so-far-3-0/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [The only important statistic is the final score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-russell/the-only-important-statistic-is-the-final-score/) [Bill Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-russell/) > [“Just then, the music stopped. The band needed a break from Mike’s requests. As they were exiting the stage, a sudden uproar--an explosion--erupted from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/just-then-the-music-stopped-the-band-needed-a-break-from-mike-s/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Victory is in the quality of the competition, not just the final score.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-marshall/victory-is-in-the-quality-of-the-competition-not-just-the-final-score/) Mike Marshall > [I might have been one of the first 'SportsCenter' anchors that complained that I wrote this great lead-in setting up a highlight, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-eisen/i-might-have-been-one-of-the-first-sportscenter-anchors-that/) [Rich Eisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-eisen/) > [There are no right or wrong, or fair results. There's just the final score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-rehhagel/there-are-no-right-or-wrong-or-fair-results-there-s-just-the-final/) [Otto Rehhagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-rehhagel/) > [Who's your team today? Predict the final score!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-s-your-team-today-predict-the-final-score/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And I ran after that voice through the streets so as not to lose sight of the splendid wreath of bodies gliding over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/and-i-ran-after-that-voice-through-the-streets-so-as-not-to-lose/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The home is the centre and circumference, the start and the finish, of most of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-home-is-the-centre-and-circumference-the-start-and-the-finish-of/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [It's not where you start or where you finish. It is the distance between the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/it-s-not-where-you-start-or-where-you-finish-it-is-the-distance/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [I firmly believe if you start something, you should finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coy-bowles/i-firmly-believe-if-you-start-something-you-should-finish-it/) [Coy Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coy-bowles/) > [“It doesn't matter where you start but how you finish that matters!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-irick-rainford/it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-start-but-how-you-finish-that-matters/) Valerie Irick Rainford ## More by Herbert Kaufman > [Failure is only postponed success as long as courage 'coaches' ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/failure-is-only-postponed-success-as-long-as-courage-coaches-ambition/) [Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) > [Rich men's sons are seldom rich men's fathers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/rich-men-s-sons-are-seldom-rich-men-s-fathers/) [Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) > [Only things the dreamers make live on. They are the eternal conquerors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/only-things-the-dreamers-make-live-on-they-are-the-eternal-conquerors/) [Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) > [The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/the-habit-of-persistence-is-the-habit-of-victory/) [Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) > [Makers of empire, they have fought for bigger things than crowns and higher seats than thrones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/makers-of-empire-they-have-fought-for-bigger-things-than-crowns-and/) [Herbert Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) [Explore all 6 Herbert Kaufman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/) ## More Achievement quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera > [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) Chaz Brenchley > [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/) [Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/) Nicholas Roerich > [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) [Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Spurts don't count. The final score makes no mention of a splendid start if the finish proves that you were an also ran.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herbert Kaufman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes-no-mention-of-a-splendid/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achievement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes-no-mention-of-a-splendid/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/234/herbert-kaufman-57181_achievement_spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes_1050687.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/234/herbert-kaufman-57181_achievement_spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes_1050687.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/234/herbert-kaufman-57181_achievement_spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes_1050687.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Spurts don't count. The final score makes no mention of a splendid start if the finish proves that you were…” — Herbert Kaufman", "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": "Herbert Kaufman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-kaufman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Spurts don't count. The final score...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes-no-mention-of-a-splendid/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-kaufman/spurts-don-t-count-the-final-score-makes-no-mention-of-a-splendid/#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 } } ] } ```