--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To try is to risk failure. But risks need…" description: "\"“To try is to risk failure. But risks need to be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does noth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/john-o-sullivan-101537_failure_to-try-is-to-risk-failure-but-risks-need_1352641.jpg" --- # To try is to risk failure. But risks need to be taken… ![“To try is to risk failure. But risks need to be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel change, grow, love and live. Chained by their…” quote by John O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/john-o-sullivan-101537_failure_to-try-is-to-risk-failure-but-risks-need_1352641.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/john-o-sullivan-101537_failure_to-try-is-to-risk-failure-but-risks-need_1352641.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/john-o-sullivan-101537_failure_to-try-is-to-risk-failure-but-risks-need_1352641.jpg) > ““To try is to risk failure. But risks need to be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel change, grow, love and live. Chained by their certitudes, they are a slave; they have forfeited their freedom. Only a person who risks is free. —Leo Buscaglia”” [John O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-sullivan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Risking failure is essential; avoiding risk leads to stagnation, while risk brings freedom and growth. **In simple terms:** Taking risks leads to freedom. Key Takeaway Embrace calculated risks. Themes risk failure growth freedom learning courage Mood inspirational determined Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - personal challenges - creative projects Key Concepts psychology self‑development philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What risk could change your life? - How do you mitigate fear? A Different Perspective Risk can cause genuine loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leo-buscaglia-229323/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Person Risks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-risks-257967/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risk Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-failure/) [Risk Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-person-257968/) [Try Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-risk-2086423/) ## Related quotes > [The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing and becomes nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/the-greatest-risk-in-life-is-to-risk-nothing-the-person-who-risks/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/but-risks-must-be-taken-because-the-greatest-hazard-in-life-is-to/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [You may avoid suffering and sorrow if you don't risk, but you simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live. The greatest hazard in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-may-avoid-suffering-and-sorrow-if-you-don-t-risk-but-you-simply/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-risk-in-life-is-to-risk-nothing-the-person-who-risks-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing. The Person who risks nothing, has nothing and becomes nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/the-greatest-risk-in-life-is-to-risk-nothing-the-person-who-risks-2/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [“To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard of life is to risk nothing. The person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/to-try-is-to-risk-failure-but-risk-must-be-taken-because-the-greatest/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [“Professor Leo Buscaglia notes, "There seems to be accumulating evidence that there is actually an inborn need for this togetherness, this is human interaction,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/professor-leo-buscaglia-notes-there-seems-to-be-accumulating-evidence/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [Education should be the process of helping everyone to discover his uniqueness." -Leo Buscaglia (1924-1998)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/education-should-be-the-process-of-helping-everyone-to-discover-his-2/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [Physician Albert Scheweitzer said. " We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness." Professor Leo Buscaglia notes, "There seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/physician-albert-scheweitzer-said-we-are-all-so-much-together-but-we/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [Love creates an us without destroying the me.- Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aroha-janet/love-creates-an-us-without-destroying-the-me-leo-buscaglia/) [Aroha Janet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aroha-janet/) > [The biggest risk a person can take is to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-biggest-risk-a-person-can-take-is-to-do-nothing/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [The underdog is a person that's at risk, a person that has a lot of big trials you have to overcome. I mean, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-harris-jr/the-underdog-is-a-person-that-s-at-risk-a-person-that-has-a-lot-of/) [Chris Harris, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-harris-jr/) > [Gemini's are always ready and willing to risk it all for the person they love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gemini-s-are-always-ready-and-willing-to-risk-it-all-for-the-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The 'Amazing' can only be created by facing fear, risk and failure during the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brown/the-amazing-can-only-be-created-by-facing-fear-risk-and-failure/) [Joel Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brown/) > [To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-love-is-to-risk-not-being-loved-in-return-to-hope-is-to-risk-pain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John O'Sullivan > [“A spirit of satirical frivolity so dominated Britain in the 1960s that one critic feared the country "would sink giggling into the sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-sullivan/a-spirit-of-satirical-frivolity-so-dominated-britain-in-the-1960s/) [John O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-sullivan/) [Explore all 2 John O'Sullivan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-sullivan/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To try is to risk failure. 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