---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When things worked, they were theirs…"
description: "\"“When things worked, they were theirs; when they failed, they were his.”\" — Jan Karon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/jan-karon-2637_failed_when-things-worked-they-were-theirs-when_2599097.png"
---

#  When things worked, they were theirs; when they failed…

![“When things worked, they were theirs; when they failed, they were his.” quote by Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/jan-karon-2637_failed_when-things-worked-they-were-theirs-when_2599097.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/jan-karon-2637_failed_when-things-worked-they-were-theirs-when_2599097.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/jan-karon-2637_failed_when-things-worked-they-were-theirs-when_2599097.png)

> ““When things worked, they were theirs; when they failed, they were his.””

[Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/)

## About This Quote

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

Ownership of success shifts with outcomes, reflecting how responsibility and credit change with results.

**In simple terms:** Success ownership changes with outcome.

Key Takeaway

Accept responsibility for both wins and losses.

Themes

responsibility success failure

Mood

thoughtful balanced

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- business decisions
- team dynamics
- personal growth

Key Concepts

ethics of credit leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you assign credit fairly?
- What lessons arise from failure?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex causes of outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/)

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