--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When things go bad, it's easy to point…" description: "\"When things go bad, it's easy to point fingers. People who attempt to switch the blame are afraid to fail. We've all been afraid to fail before a game,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/467/john-elway-16333_afraid-to-fail_when-things-go-bad-it-s-easy-to-point-fi_854526.png" --- # When things go bad, it's easy to point fingers. People who… ![“When things go bad, it's easy to point fingers. People who attempt to switch the blame are afraid to fail. We've all been afraid to fail before a game, but it shouldn't stop us from continuing, and from doing what we have to do to get the job done.” quote by John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/467/john-elway-16333_afraid-to-fail_when-things-go-bad-it-s-easy-to-point-fi_854526.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/467/john-elway-16333_afraid-to-fail_when-things-go-bad-it-s-easy-to-point-fi_854526.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/467/john-elway-16333_afraid-to-fail_when-things-go-bad-it-s-easy-to-point-fi_854526.png) > “When things go bad, it's easy to point fingers. People who attempt to switch the blame are afraid to fail. We've all been afraid to fail before a game, but it shouldn't stop us from continuing, and from doing what we have to do to get the job done.” [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blaming others is easy when things go wrong, but fear of failure drives that behavior; despite fear, we must persist and fulfill responsibilities. **In simple terms:** Avoid blame, face fear, keep working. Key Takeaway Take responsibility despite fear. Themes sports leadership resilience Mood determined encouraging Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - team projects - personal setbacks - career challenges Key Concepts accountability fear management Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to stop blaming others? - How does fear of failure affect your performance? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid to fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-to-fail/) [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [The bottom line is, you can't be afraid to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-colangelo/the-bottom-line-is-you-can-t-be-afraid-to-fail/) Jerry Colangelo > [I'm not afraid to fail. Sometimes when you lose, you win. Sometimes when you win, you lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-m-not-afraid-to-fail-sometimes-when-you-lose-you-win-sometimes-when/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. Scientists made a great invention by calling their activities hypotheses and experiments. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/an-essential-aspect-of-creativity-is-not-being-afraid-to-fail/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [Those who are afraid to fail may not deserve to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nido-r-qubein/those-who-are-afraid-to-fail-may-not-deserve-to-succeed/) [Nido R Qubein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nido-r-qubein/) > [In order to succeed, you can't be afraid to fail. Just do it and don't let anybody tell you you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hill/in-order-to-succeed-you-can-t-be-afraid-to-fail-just-do-it-and-don-t/) [Faith Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hill/) > [I'm not afraid to fail. I'm afraid to be mediocre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-seau/i-m-not-afraid-to-fail-i-m-afraid-to-be-mediocre/) [Junior Seau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-seau/) > [Failures are life's way of nudging you and letting you know you are off course. Trying new things and not being afraid to fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-blakely/failures-are-life-s-way-of-nudging-you-and-letting-you-know-you-are/) [Sara Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-blakely/) > [I believe anybody who is not afraid to fail is a winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-believe-anybody-who-is-not-afraid-to-fail-is-a-winner/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [My biggest adjustment has been learning not to be afraid to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-damon/my-biggest-adjustment-has-been-learning-not-to-be-afraid-to-fail/) [Johnny Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-damon/) > [I've had to learn through experiences not to be afraid to fail. You don't know what the future holds for you. You can hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nastia-liukin/i-ve-had-to-learn-through-experiences-not-to-be-afraid-to-fail-you/) [Nastia Liukin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nastia-liukin/) > [Courageous people are not afraid to fail. So often in life and in sports, we're afraid to fail. Instead, we should attack things with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cullen/courageous-people-are-not-afraid-to-fail-so-often-in-life-and-in/) [Matt Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cullen/) > [Don't be afraid to fail. Experience is just mistakes you don't make anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/don-t-be-afraid-to-fail-experience-is-just-mistakes-you-don-t-make/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [Don't be afraid to fail. I fail every day. I failed thousands of times writing The Book Thief, and that book now means everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/don-t-be-afraid-to-fail-i-fail-every-day-i-failed-thousands-of-times/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [I'm not afraid to fail...I'm scared to death of dying and having the Lord say to me, 'Angelica, this is what you might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-angelica/i-m-not-afraid-to-fail-i-m-scared-to-death-of-dying-and-having-the/) [Mother Angelica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-angelica/) > [Never be afraid to fail. Failure is only a stepping stone to improvement. Never be overconfident because that will block your improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-be-afraid-to-fail-failure-is-only-a-stepping-stone-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John Elway > [I think the thing that he wants even more that would solidify his position would be a couple championships. Hopefully we can get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-think-the-thing-that-he-wants-even-more-that-would-solidify-his/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [In the long run, the cream always rises and the crap always sinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/in-the-long-run-the-cream-always-rises-and-the-crap-always-sinks/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [You always want to have good balance. Thats the key to winning a Super Bowl. You look at the teams who have won championships,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/you-always-want-to-have-good-balance-thats-the-key-to-winning-a-super/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [I can't compare quarterbacks as apples and oranges in my mind because everybody's in a different system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-can-t-compare-quarterbacks-as-apples-and-oranges-in-my-mind-because/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [I had a great time doing Vegas. It's just that it takes a lot of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-had-a-great-time-doing-vegas-it-s-just-that-it-takes-a-lot-of-time/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [I normally run the 40-yard dash in 4.9, but when a 280-pound guy is chasing me, I run it in 4.6.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-normally-run-the-40-yard-dash-in-4-9-but-when-a-280-pound-guy-is/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [There have been openings, but I have not interviewed for any jobs, nor do I want to right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/there-have-been-openings-but-i-have-not-interviewed-for-any-jobs-nor/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [There's always an asterisk behind somebody's name who hasn't won the Super Bowl. There shouldn't be, but that's kind of the way history works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/there-s-always-an-asterisk-behind-somebody-s-name-who-hasn-t-won-the/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [I've experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. I think to really appreciate anything you have to be at both ends of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-ve-experienced-the-highest-of-highs-and-lowest-of-lows-i-think-to/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [I was a baseball player and a football player at Stanford, so I didn't play a lot of golf in college. I really started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-was-a-baseball-player-and-a-football-player-at-stanford-so-i-didn-t/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [I don't know if I like being the sentimental favorite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-don-t-know-if-i-like-being-the-sentimental-favorite/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [I would hope this experience would help me if that NFL opportunity were to arise. But I also know that it's a totally different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-would-hope-this-experience-would-help-me-if-that-nfl-opportunity/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [Being thrown into the fire and getting the thing turned around in a hurry made it more difficult. Things have been done the hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/being-thrown-into-the-fire-and-getting-the-thing-turned-around-in-a/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [When I retired, I really wanted to spend time with my family and kids. Coaching would have prevented that due to the commitment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/when-i-retired-i-really-wanted-to-spend-time-with-my-family-and-kids/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) > [I think I'm lucky in life and not just in football. I was very fortunate to play for a great organization and a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elway/i-think-i-m-lucky-in-life-and-not-just-in-football-i-was-very/) [John Elway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) [Explore all 40 John Elway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elway/) ## More Afraid to fail quotes > [The bottom line is, you can't be afraid to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-colangelo/the-bottom-line-is-you-can-t-be-afraid-to-fail/) Jerry Colangelo > [So let me tell you, as you prepare to go off into the world, remember six rules: Trust yourself, Break some rules, Don't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/so-let-me-tell-you-as-you-prepare-to-go-off-into-the-world-remember/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [I'm not afraid to fail...I'm scared to death of dying and having the Lord say to me, 'Angelica, this is what you might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-angelica/i-m-not-afraid-to-fail-i-m-scared-to-death-of-dying-and-having-the/) [Mother Angelica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-angelica/) > [Anything I've ever attempted, I was always willing to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/anything-i-ve-ever-attempted-i-was-always-willing-to-fail/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [The greatest success goes to the person who is not afraid to fail in front of even the largest audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-packard/the-greatest-success-goes-to-the-person-who-is-not-afraid-to-fail-in/) [David Packard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-packard/) > [Don't be afraid to fail. I fail every day. I failed thousands of times writing The Book Thief, and that book now means everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/don-t-be-afraid-to-fail-i-fail-every-day-i-failed-thousands-of-times/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [If you are afraid of failure, you don't deserve success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nastia-liukin/if-you-are-afraid-of-failure-you-don-t-deserve-success/) [Nastia Liukin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nastia-liukin/) > [Don't be afraid to fail. Experience is just mistakes you don't make anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/don-t-be-afraid-to-fail-experience-is-just-mistakes-you-don-t-make/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [Courageous people are not afraid to fail. So often in life and in sports, we're afraid to fail. Instead, we should attack things with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cullen/courageous-people-are-not-afraid-to-fail-so-often-in-life-and-in/) [Matt Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cullen/) > [I've had to learn through experiences not to be afraid to fail. You don't know what the future holds for you. You can hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nastia-liukin/i-ve-had-to-learn-through-experiences-not-to-be-afraid-to-fail-you/) [Nastia Liukin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nastia-liukin/) > [My biggest adjustment has been learning not to be afraid to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-damon/my-biggest-adjustment-has-been-learning-not-to-be-afraid-to-fail/) [Johnny Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-damon/) > [I believe anybody who is not afraid to fail is a winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-believe-anybody-who-is-not-afraid-to-fail-is-a-winner/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [It is up to the leader to create a healthy environment where people are not afraid to fail. Mistakes should be seen as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-harvey/it-is-up-to-the-leader-to-create-a-healthy-environment-where-people/) [Andrew Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-harvey/) > [Failures are life's way of nudging you and letting you know you are off course. Trying new things and not being afraid to fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-blakely/failures-are-life-s-way-of-nudging-you-and-letting-you-know-you-are/) [Sara Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-blakely/) > [I'm not afraid to fail. I'm afraid to be mediocre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-seau/i-m-not-afraid-to-fail-i-m-afraid-to-be-mediocre/) [Junior Seau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-seau/) [Browse all 55 Afraid to fail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-to-fail/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When things go bad, it's easy to point fingers. 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