---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Success may result in winning, but…"
description: "\"Success may result in winning, but winning does not necessarily mean you are a success.\" — John Wooden"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/021/john-wooden-420_doe_success-may-result-in-winning-but-winnin_2531211.png"
---

#  Success may result in winning, but winning does not…

![“Success may result in winning, but winning does not necessarily mean you are a success.” quote by John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/021/john-wooden-420_doe_success-may-result-in-winning-but-winnin_2531211.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/021/john-wooden-420_doe_success-may-result-in-winning-but-winnin_2531211.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/021/john-wooden-420_doe_success-may-result-in-winning-but-winnin_2531211.png)

> “Success may result in winning, but winning does not necessarily mean you are a success.”

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

## About This Quote

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

Winning alone doesn't guarantee personal success; success includes character and purpose.

**In simple terms:** Winning ≠ success.

Key Takeaway

Focus on character, not just outcomes.

Themes

sports success character

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- career
- education
- team building

Key Concepts

Leadership ethics achievement

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines success for you?
- How can you align wins with personal values?

A Different Perspective

Success can be hollow without integrity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/)

## Related quotes

> [Every endeavour pursued with passion produces a successful outcome, regardless of the result. For it is not about winning or losing – rather, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-syed/every-endeavour-pursued-with-passion-produces-a-successful-outcome/)

[Matthew Syed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-syed/)

> [I think in my case winning fans came as a result of winning tournaments. Certainly, I didn't have too many supporters when I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-think-in-my-case-winning-fans-came-as-a-result-of-winning/)

[Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/)

> [Winning or not winning an award doesn't affect me. I just like to do my work in the best possible manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kk/winning-or-not-winning-an-award-doesn-t-affect-me-i-just-like-to-do/)

KK

> [When you have a run of games where you keep winning and winning, you know it must end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-benitez/when-you-have-a-run-of-games-where-you-keep-winning-and-winning-you/)

[Rafael Benitez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-benitez/)

> [The great ones are about winning and winning only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skip-bayless/the-great-ones-are-about-winning-and-winning-only/)

[Skip Bayless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skip-bayless/)

> [Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear. What does it mean that success is a dangerous as failure? Whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/success-is-as-dangerous-as-failure-hope-is-as-hollow-as-fear-what/)

[Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/)

> [My best advice to actors is if you love acting, do it every chance you get. Success does not mean success. All that matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-gray-gubler/my-best-advice-to-actors-is-if-you-love-acting-do-it-every-chance-you/)

[Matthew Gray Gubler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-gray-gubler/)

> [Success, in my view, is the willingness to strive for something you really want. The person not reaching the top is no less a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-tarkenton/success-in-my-view-is-the-willingness-to-strive-for-something-you-2/)

[Fran Tarkenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-tarkenton/)

> [“When you have failed at being nice, you’ve actually succeeded in being mean. Success is everywhere if you know where to look for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katina-ferguson/when-you-have-failed-at-being-nice-you-ve-actually-succeeded-in-being/)

[Katina Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katina-ferguson/)

> [The failure to be perfect does not mean you are not a success; it is giving your best that helps you to understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-tarkenton/the-failure-to-be-perfect-does-not-mean-you-are-not-a-success-it-is/)

[Fran Tarkenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-tarkenton/)

> [The most important thing is playoff sex…er…um...I mean success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-crawford/the-most-important-thing-is-playoff-sex-er-um-i-mean-success/)

Marc Crawford

> [People often ask me for the secret to success. Usually, they mean success in the music industry, but I think the answer applies to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-lynn/people-often-ask-me-for-the-secret-to-success-usually-they-mean/)

[Vera Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-lynn/)

> [Success on one project does not necessarily mean success in the next project. You've got to be prepared in everything you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/success-on-one-project-does-not-necessarily-mean-success-in-the-next/)

[Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/)

> [You see, money isn't everything - I know it sounds corny but I really mean it - success means a lot more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glynis-johns/you-see-money-isn-t-everything-i-know-it-sounds-corny-but-i-really/)

[Glynis Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glynis-johns/)

> [I just want to win. I love winning. It does not bore me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hayes/i-just-want-to-win-i-love-winning-it-does-not-bore-me/)

[Emma Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hayes/)

## More by John Wooden

> [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/defense-is-a-definite-part-of-the-game-and-a-great-part-of-defense-is/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [“It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it. -John wooden”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-so-important-who-starts-the-game-but-who-finishes-it-john/)

[John wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [“I remain convinced to this day that compassion like that—sincerely caring for your players and maintaining an active interest in their lives, concerns, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/i-remain-convinced-to-this-day-that-compassion-like-that-sincerely/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [I'm not going to say I was opposed to the Vietnam War. I'm going to say I'm opposed to war. But I'm also opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/i-m-not-going-to-say-i-was-opposed-to-the-vietnam-war-i-m-going-to/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating...too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/being-a-role-model-is-the-most-powerful-form-of-educating-too-often/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Approval is a greater motivator than disapproval, but we have to disapprove on occasion when we correct. It’s necessary. I make corrections only after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/approval-is-a-greater-motivator-than-disapproval-but-we-have-to/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Each of us has a huge capacity to learn and to achieve. Being ever alert makes the task of becoming all we are capable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/each-of-us-has-a-huge-capacity-to-learn-and-to-achieve-being-ever/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter. Persevere relentlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/stay-the-course-when-thwarted-try-again-harder-smarter-persevere/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Love is the most powerful four letter word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/love-is-the-most-powerful-four-letter-word/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [It takes 10 hands to score a basket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-takes-10-hands-to-score-a-basket/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [The best competition I have is against myself to become better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/the-best-competition-i-have-is-against-myself-to-become-better/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, the habits you are developing now will be with you for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/whether-you-know-it-or-not-whether-you-like-it-or-not-the-habits-you/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Intensity makes you stronger. Emotionalism makes you weaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/intensity-makes-you-stronger-emotionalism-makes-you-weaker/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [Reputation is what others perceive you as being, and their opinion may be right or wrong. Character, however, is what you really are, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/reputation-is-what-others-perceive-you-as-being-and-their-opinion-may/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

[Explore all 578 John Wooden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

## More Doe quotes

> [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [Sometimes a sign or a quote is simply interesting by itself and does not require anything beyond being framed on a page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/sometimes-a-sign-or-a-quote-is-simply-interesting-by-itself-and-does/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/)

[James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/)

[William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/)

> [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/)

[Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/)

> [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/)

[Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/)

> [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/)

[Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/)

Browse all 25,574 Doe quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Success may result in winning, but winning does not necessarily mean you are a success.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Wooden"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/success-may-result-in-winning-but-winning-does-not-necessarily-mean/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Doe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/success-may-result-in-winning-but-winning-does-not-necessarily-mean/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/021/john-wooden-420_doe_success-may-result-in-winning-but-winnin_2531211.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/021/john-wooden-420_doe_success-may-result-in-winning-but-winnin_2531211.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/021/john-wooden-420_doe_success-may-result-in-winning-but-winnin_2531211.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Success may result in winning, but winning does not necessarily mean you are a success.” — John Wooden",
                "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": "John Wooden",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Success may result in winning, but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/success-may-result-in-winning-but-winning-does-not-necessarily-mean/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/success-may-result-in-winning-but-winning-does-not-necessarily-mean/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
