--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In general, Temple was forced to concede…" description: "\"“In general, Temple was forced to concede, he was a man who had failed to live up to his own high standards. Or even to his low ones. He had undertaken..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/joe-abercrombie-791_bad-luck_in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede_3107272.png" --- # In general, Temple was forced to concede, he was a man who… ![“In general, Temple was forced to concede, he was a man who had failed to live up to his own high standards. Or even to his low ones. He had undertaken a galaxy of projects. Many of those any decent man would have been ashamed of. Of the remainder, due to a mixture of bad luck, impatience and…” quote by Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/joe-abercrombie-791_bad-luck_in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede_3107272.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/joe-abercrombie-791_bad-luck_in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede_3107272.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/joe-abercrombie-791_bad-luck_in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede_3107272.png) > ““In general, Temple was forced to concede, he was a man who had failed to live up to his own high standards. Or even to his low ones. He had undertaken a galaxy of projects. Many of those any decent man would have been ashamed of. Of the remainder, due to a mixture of bad luck, impatience and shiftless obsession with the next thing, he could hardly remember one that had not tailed off into disappointment, failure or outright disaster.”” [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage critiques a character’s chronic failure, attributing it to overambition, bad luck, and lack of focus. **In simple terms:** A man’s projects constantly fail due to overreach and distraction. Key Takeaway Avoid spreading yourself too thin. Themes failure ambition focus Mood reflective analytical Type motivational cautionary When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - personal goal setting Key Concepts overcommitment luck obsession Questions to Reflect On - What strategies prevent project overload? - How can one balance ambition with realism? A Different Perspective Not all failures are due to personal flaws; external factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [High standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-standards/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a man who has failed in many areas, but the one thing I don't want to do is quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-williams/i-m-a-man-who-has-failed-in-many-areas-but-the-one-thing-i-don-t-want/) [Monty Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-williams/) > [Many a man has failed because he had his wishbone where his backbone should have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/many-a-man-has-failed-because-he-had-his-wishbone-where-his-backbone/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Paradoxically, the man who has failed and one who is at the peak of success are in exactly the same position. Each must decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kano-jigoro/paradoxically-the-man-who-has-failed-and-one-who-is-at-the-peak-of/) [Kano Jigoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kano-jigoro/) > [More mistakes happen to the successful than to the man who has failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/more-mistakes-happen-to-the-successful-than-to-the-man-who-has-failed/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Never give a man up until he has failed at something he likes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/never-give-a-man-up-until-he-has-failed-at-something-he-likes/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“So you love war. I used to think you were a decent man. But I see now I was mistaken. You're a hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/so-you-love-war-i-used-to-think-you-were-a-decent-man-but-i-see-now-i/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [The Democrats are evil, and they crave power. They're willing to destroy any decent man or woman to attain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lee-peterson/the-democrats-are-evil-and-they-crave-power-they-re-willing-to/) [Jesse Lee Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lee-peterson/) > [Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/every-decent-man-is-ashamed-of-the-government-he-lives-under/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Donald Trump is way worse than George W. Bush. George W. Bush is a fundamentally decent man of limited intelligence who surrounded himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/donald-trump-is-way-worse-than-george-w-bush-george-w-bush-is-a/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [“I was a coward and a slave. I say this without the slightest embarrassment. Every decent man of our age must be a coward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-was-a-coward-and-a-slave-i-say-this-without-the-slightest/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“But what can a decent man speak of with most pleasure? Answer: Of himself. Well,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-what-can-a-decent-man-speak-of-with-most-pleasure-answer-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [My dad died when I was young. He was a good and decent man. There are a few things he would say that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/my-dad-died-when-i-was-young-he-was-a-good-and-decent-man-there-are-a/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [“God preserve you, my dear boy, from ever asking forgiveness for a fault from a woman you love. From one you love especially, however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/god-preserve-you-my-dear-boy-from-ever-asking-forgiveness-for-a-fault/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [You weren't a decent man and you didn't do your best. We none of us were and none of us did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-weren-t-a-decent-man-and-you-didn-t-do-your-best-we-none-of-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Joe Abercrombie > [“She shrugged. “I fell. I’m a clumsy fool.” “I know how you feel. I’m such a fool I knocked half my teeth out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/she-shrugged-i-fell-i-m-a-clumsy-fool-i-know-how-you-feel-i-m-such-a/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [Things aren't what they used to be' is the rallying cry of small minds. When men say things used to be better, they invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/things-aren-t-what-they-used-to-be-is-the-rallying-cry-of-small-minds/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Mercy and weakness are the same thing in war, and there's no prize for nice behavior.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/mercy-and-weakness-are-the-same-thing-in-war-and-there-s-no-prize-for/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“The lowly have small ambitions, and are satisfied with small indulgences. They need not get fair treatment. They need only think that they do... ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-lowly-have-small-ambitions-and-are-satisfied-with-small/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“What do the dice say?" Dice say nothing. They are dice." Why roll'em, then?" They are dice. What else would I do with them?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/what-do-the-dice-say-dice-say-nothing-they-are-dice-why-roll-em-then/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“You have to realistic about these things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/you-have-to-realistic-about-these-things/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“That was the difference between a hero and a villain, a soldier and a murderer, a victory and a crime. Which side of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/that-was-the-difference-between-a-hero-and-a-villain-a-soldier-and-a/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Nostalgia was becoming a favoured hobby of his. Strange, how the best moments of our lives we scarcely notice except in looking back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/nostalgia-was-becoming-a-favoured-hobby-of-his-strange-how-the-best/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“The only difference between war and murder is the number of dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-only-difference-between-war-and-murder-is-the-number-of-dead/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [Names turned over by time, like the plough turning the soil. Bringing up the new while the old were buried in the mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/names-turned-over-by-time-like-the-plough-turning-the-soil-bringing/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Knives,’ muttered Calder, ‘and threats, and bribes, and war?’ Bayaz’ eyes shone with the lamplight. ‘Yes?’ ‘What kind of a fucking wizard are you?’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/knives-muttered-calder-and-threats-and-bribes-and-war-bayaz-eyes/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Straining and straining, getting nowhere, but unable to stop pushing in case the rock should fall and crush him. Meanwhile, arrogant bastards who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/straining-and-straining-getting-nowhere-but-unable-to-stop-pushing-in/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Yarvi: 'If we had known the hardship of it, we might have chosen another.' Shidwala: 'So it is with many choices.' Yarvi: 'All we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/yarvi-if-we-had-known-the-hardship-of-it-we-might-have-chosen-another/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [Sometimes men change for the better. Sometimes men change for the worse. And often, very often, given time and opportunity . . .’ He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/sometimes-men-change-for-the-better-sometimes-men-change-for-the/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“A bitter ending' said Yarvi. 'Many sweet stories have them', said Jaud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/a-bitter-ending-said-yarvi-many-sweet-stories-have-them-said-jaud/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) [Explore all 364 Joe Abercrombie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) ## More Bad luck quotes > [“You never talk to the pitcher when…” He shook his head. “You just never talk to the pitcher when--” “I just wanted to congratulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/you-never-talk-to-the-pitcher-when-he-shook-his-head-you-just-never/) [Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/) > [Bad luck isn't brought by broken mirrors, but by broken minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/bad-luck-isn-t-brought-by-broken-mirrors-but-by-broken-minds/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) > [I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-never-knew-an-early-rising-hard-working-prudent-man-careful-of-his/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“I didn't do any of what they told me,' she said, 'because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-didn-t-do-any-of-what-they-told-me-she-said-because-the-more-i/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Everyone knows it is bad luck to step on a toad or on the shadow of a tree, to walk under a ladder,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-knows-it-is-bad-luck-to-step-on-a-toad-or-on-the-shadow-of-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [The biggest trap, the biggest dungeon in life isn't laziness or bad luck, it's comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-biggest-trap-the-biggest-dungeon-in-life-isn-t-laziness-or-bad/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck - who keeps right on going -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-collier/all-of-us-have-bad-luck-and-good-luck-the-man-who-persists-through/) [Robert Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-collier/) > [“I was just beginning to wonder how long I would have to wait when finally a guard sauntered up and said, “Galloway, get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/i-was-just-beginning-to-wonder-how-long-i-would-have-to-wait-when/) [Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/) > [“Oh, I don’t buy lottery tickets... because if I won, and I was capable of that kind of odd luck, then I would also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissi-sepe/oh-i-don-t-buy-lottery-tickets-because-if-i-won-and-i-was-capable-of/) Chrissi Sepe > [“Before Tessa could answer, there was a knock at the door, and a familiar voice. "It's Jem. Tessa, are you there?" Charlotte sat bolt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/before-tessa-could-answer-there-was-a-knock-at-the-door-and-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“If you were crossing the road and saw a black cat passing, you may possibly get hit by a car, or a mail boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basma-salem/if-you-were-crossing-the-road-and-saw-a-black-cat-passing-you-may/) [Basma Salem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basma-salem/) > [I'm very superstitious, and I think it's bad luck. You don't have to show your love by tattooing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priya-sachdev/i-m-very-superstitious-and-i-think-it-s-bad-luck-you-don-t-have-to/) [Priya Sachdev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priya-sachdev/) > [To my bad luck, my first schedule for 'Natasaarvabhowma' was in Kolkata and I was not really introduced to the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupama-parameswaran/to-my-bad-luck-my-first-schedule-for-natasaarvabhowma-was-in-kolkata/) [Anupama Parameswaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupama-parameswaran/) [Browse all 529 Bad luck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In general, Temple was forced to concede, he was a man who had failed to live up to his own high standards. Or even to his low ones. He had undertaken a galaxy of projects. Many of those any decent man would have been ashamed of. Of the remainder, due to a mixture of bad luck, impatience and shiftless obsession with the next thing, he could hardly remember one that had not tailed off into disappointment, failure or outright disaster.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Abercrombie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede-he-was-a-man-who-had-failed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad luck" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede-he-was-a-man-who-had-failed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/joe-abercrombie-791_bad-luck_in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede_3107272.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/joe-abercrombie-791_bad-luck_in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede_3107272.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/joe-abercrombie-791_bad-luck_in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede_3107272.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In general, Temple was forced to concede, he was a man who had failed to live up to his own high standards…” — Joe Abercrombie", "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": "Joe Abercrombie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In general, Temple was forced to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede-he-was-a-man-who-had-failed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/in-general-temple-was-forced-to-concede-he-was-a-man-who-had-failed/#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 } } ] } ```