---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My great concern for you in life is not…"
description: "\"My great concern for you in life is not that you will fail, but that you will succeed in doing the wrong things.\" — Howard G. Hendricks"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/howard-g-hendricks-7887_concern_my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not_36137.png"
---

#  My great concern for you in life is not that you will…

![“My great concern for you in life is not that you will fail, but that you will succeed in doing the wrong things.” quote by Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/howard-g-hendricks-7887_concern_my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not_36137.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/howard-g-hendricks-7887_concern_my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not_36137.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/howard-g-hendricks-7887_concern_my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not_36137.png)

> “My great concern for you in life is not that you will fail, but that you will succeed in doing the wrong things.”

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The warning stresses that achieving success without moral or purposeful direction can be more damaging than failing outright.

**In simple terms:** Success without right purpose is harmful.

Key Takeaway

Right intentions matter more than outcomes.

Themes

ethics purpose success failure responsibility

Mood

thoughtful cautious inspirational

Type

advice philosophical warning

When to use this quote

- career advancement
- entrepreneurship
- leadership
- personal development
- social activism

Key Concepts

moral alignment goal setting consequences

Practical Applications

- ethical decision‑making frameworks
- mission‑driven goal planning

Questions to Reflect On

- What values guide your definition of success?
- How do you ensure your achievements serve a greater good?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/) [Concern Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern-life-441691/) [Fail Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-succeed/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Great Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-concern-441692/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Succeed Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed-doing-372140/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Wrong things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-things/)

## Related quotes

> [Better to fail at doing the right thing than to succeed at doing the wrong thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/better-to-fail-at-doing-the-right-thing-than-to-succeed-at-doing-the/)

[Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/)

> [Dr. Rice's record on Iraq gives me great concern. In her public statements she clearly overstated and exaggerated the intelligence concerning Iraq before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/dr-rice-s-record-on-iraq-gives-me-great-concern-in-her-public/)

[Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/)

> [When one is anxious only to live, he easily, in this solicitude, forgets the enjoyment of life. If his only concern is for life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/when-one-is-anxious-only-to-live-he-easily-in-this-solicitude-forgets/)

[Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/)

> [Outside of my family, the prime concern of my life has been nature and its order, and how we have been savagely altering that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cagney/outside-of-my-family-the-prime-concern-of-my-life-has-been-nature-and/)

[James Cagney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cagney/)

> [Through the ages, man's main concern was life after death. Today, for the first time, we find we must ask questions about whether there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/through-the-ages-man-s-main-concern-was-life-after-death-today-for/)

[Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/)

> [Other actors are not my concern, and that's their life and that's their journey. Everybody has to get to a point in their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/other-actors-are-not-my-concern-and-that-s-their-life-and-that-s/)

[Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/)

> [Love is the active concern for the life and the growth of that which we love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-the-active-concern-for-the-life-and-the-growth-of-that-which/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [What other people think of me is not really my major concern in life. What other people think of what I write is another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roiphe/what-other-people-think-of-me-is-not-really-my-major-concern-in-life/)

[Anne Roiphe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roiphe/)

> [“Life can become a celebration if you know how to live without concern. Otherwise life becomes a long prolonged disease and illness which culminates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagwan-shree-rajneesh/life-can-become-a-celebration-if-you-know-how-to-live-without-concern/)

[Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagwan-shree-rajneesh/)

> [“Love is the active concern for the life and the growth of that which we love. Where this active concern is lacking, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-the-active-concern-for-the-life-and-the-growth-of-that-which-2/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [“Matters of great concern should be treated lightly.” Master Ittei commented, “Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/matters-of-great-concern-should-be-treated-lightly-master-ittei/)

[Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/)

> [My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/my-great-concern-is-not-whether-you-have-failed-but-whether-you-are/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [“At the same time, they will also express great concern about the future that awaits us should this at once powerful and fragile web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/at-the-same-time-they-will-also-express-great-concern-about-the/)

[Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/)

> [If we don't get back to the word of God in this nation, I feel He will judge America just as he did Sodom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-bryant/if-we-don-t-get-back-to-the-word-of-god-in-this-nation-i-feel-he-will/)

[Anita Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-bryant/)

> [Russia's assertiveness in global affairs is something I look upon with great concern, which we need to address with eyes wide open and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-coats/russia-s-assertiveness-in-global-affairs-is-something-i-look-upon/)

[Dan Coats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-coats/)

## More by Howard G. Hendricks

> [Jesus never discipled one-on-one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/jesus-never-discipled-one-on-one/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [The Bible was written not to satisfy your curiosity but to help you conform to Christ's image. Not to make you a smarter sinner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/the-bible-was-written-not-to-satisfy-your-curiosity-but-to-help-you/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [It is a sin to bore a child with the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/it-is-a-sin-to-bore-a-child-with-the-word-of-god/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [You cannot impart what you do not possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/you-cannot-impart-what-you-do-not-possess/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [Your strengths develop your confidence; your weaknesses develop your faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/your-strengths-develop-your-confidence-your-weaknesses-develop-your/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [It is not about where you are but in what direction you're moving. God is into character, not credentials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/it-is-not-about-where-you-are-but-in-what-direction-you-re-moving-god/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [Maybe you've attended church for five, ten, or even twenty years, but you've never cracked open the Bible to prepare yourself for effectiveness as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/maybe-you-ve-attended-church-for-five-ten-or-even-twenty-years-but/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [There is no fear of judgment for the man who judges himself according to the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/there-is-no-fear-of-judgment-for-the-man-who-judges-himself-according/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [The Bible is the divine means of developing spiritual maturity. There is no other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/the-bible-is-the-divine-means-of-developing-spiritual-maturity-there/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [That's the way to come to the Word of God. Read it as though it were His love letter to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/that-s-the-way-to-come-to-the-word-of-god-read-it-as-though-it-were/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [You can impress from a distance, but you can only impact up close.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/you-can-impress-from-a-distance-but-you-can-only-impact-up-close/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [There was no identity crisis in the life of Jesus Christ. He knew who He was. He knew where He had come from, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/there-was-no-identity-crisis-in-the-life-of-jesus-christ-he-knew-who/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [The will of God is found in the Word of God. The more a person grows, the more he begins to think instinctively and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/the-will-of-god-is-found-in-the-word-of-god-the-more-a-person-grows/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [It's essential to growth. It's essential to maturity. It's essential for equipping you, training you, so that you might be an available, clean, sharp…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/it-s-essential-to-growth-it-s-essential-to-maturity-it-s-essential/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

> [Don't put eggs under dead chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/don-t-put-eggs-under-dead-chickens/)

[Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

[Explore all 86 Howard G. Hendricks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/)

## More Concern quotes

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. My literature has a universal concern: I want to bring people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-is-not-my-intention-to-explain-turkey-its-culture-and-its-problems/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I'm a vegetarian - I think there's a strong possibility, had I not become a vegetarian, I would not be working now. I became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barker/i-m-a-vegetarian-i-think-there-s-a-strong-possibility-had-i-not/)

[Bob Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barker/)

> [What really concerns me is for Christians to understand the fundamentals of evangelism in a way that is helpful in the contemporary scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/what-really-concerns-me-is-for-christians-to-understand-the/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I'm not interested in making a diagnostic novel or a concern. I'm 100 percent committed in fiction to the pleasure principle - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-m-not-interested-in-making-a-diagnostic-novel-or-a-concern-i-m-100/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/)

[Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/)

> [It concerns me when people frame the conversation about equal pay about the entertainment business. I don't want the wage gap issue to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/it-concerns-me-when-people-frame-the-conversation-about-equal-pay/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/)

[George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/)

> [More compassionate mind, more sense of concern for other's well-being, is source of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/more-compassionate-mind-more-sense-of-concern-for-other-s-well-being/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/)

[Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/)

> [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/)

[Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/)

> [ I just have to deal with it \[injuries\] if and when problems happen. It's obviously a concern and I've been very careful with my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-james/i-just-have-to-deal-with-it-injuries-if-and-when-problems-happen-it-s/)

[Greg James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-james/)

> [Much has been said and continues to be said of what little concern the Turks had for the Acropolis treasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-mercouri/much-has-been-said-and-continues-to-be-said-of-what-little-concern/)

[Melina Mercouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-mercouri/)

[Browse all 3,297 Concern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My great concern for you in life is not that you will fail, but that you will succeed in doing the wrong things.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Howard G. Hendricks"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not-that-you-will-fail-but-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Concern"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not-that-you-will-fail-but-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/howard-g-hendricks-7887_concern_my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not_36137.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/howard-g-hendricks-7887_concern_my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not_36137.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/howard-g-hendricks-7887_concern_my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not_36137.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My great concern for you in life is not that you will fail, but that you will succeed in doing the wrong…” — Howard G. Hendricks",
                "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": "Howard G. Hendricks",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My great concern for you in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not-that-you-will-fail-but-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/my-great-concern-for-you-in-life-is-not-that-you-will-fail-but-that/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
