--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All were successful,and felt like…" description: "\"“All were successful,and felt like failures. Gold no longer pretended to understand the nature of success.Instead,he pretended not to. He knew the comp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/joseph-heller-601_dumb-luck_all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failur_1990297.jpg" --- # All were successful,and felt like failures. Gold no longer… ![“All were successful,and felt like failures. Gold no longer pretended to understand the nature of success.Instead,he pretended not to. He knew the components that were necessary: None, or maybe one: Dumb luck” quote by Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/joseph-heller-601_dumb-luck_all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failur_1990297.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/joseph-heller-601_dumb-luck_all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failur_1990297.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/joseph-heller-601_dumb-luck_all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failur_1990297.jpg) > ““All were successful,and felt like failures. Gold no longer pretended to understand the nature of success.Instead,he pretended not to. He knew the components that were necessary: None, or maybe one: Dumb luck”” [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success is portrayed as elusive; the narrator admits that luck, not skill, often determines outcomes. **In simple terms:** Luck, not skill, often decides success. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty in achievement. Themes success luck human aspiration illusion Mood thoughtful realistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - personal goals - risk assessment Key Concepts randomness self-deception Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance effort with acceptance of chance? - Can you create conditions that improve your odds? A Different Perspective Relying on luck can lead to complacency and lack of effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dumb luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumb-luck/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures/) [Failures Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures-gold-3446748/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Like Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-failures-1887444/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-instead-1888350/) ## Related quotes > [One thing I've discovered is that I never think of something that didn't work out as just "something that didn't work out." I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-stillman/one-thing-i-ve-discovered-is-that-i-never-think-of-something-that/) [Sarah Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-stillman/) > [In terms of relationships, I've had two failures, although I don't like to call them failures; they are self learning, and I cannot say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-del-castillo/in-terms-of-relationships-i-ve-had-two-failures-although-i-don-t-like/) [Kate del Castillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-del-castillo/) > [I hate people feeling like failures, I hate it because no one's a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-sebastian/i-hate-people-feeling-like-failures-i-hate-it-because-no-one-s-a/) [Guy Sebastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-sebastian/) > [“How we feel is not who we are. We might feel like failures, but as long as we are still trying, we are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/how-we-feel-is-not-who-we-are-we-might-feel-like-failures-but-as-long/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [“Sometimes I do face failures, but I don't like failures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/sometimes-i-do-face-failures-but-i-don-t-like-failures/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I mean, the truth of the matter is, I like the failures as much as I like the successes, it's only the world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-mean-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-i-like-the-failures-as-much-as-i/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You can choose to think in ways that will support you in your happiness and success instead of ways that don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/you-can-choose-to-think-in-ways-that-will-support-you-in-your/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [I'm more afraid of success than failure. Success makes us so sure of ourselves that we do not analyze the factors that lead us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-valdano/i-m-more-afraid-of-success-than-failure-success-makes-us-so-sure-of/) [Jorge Valdano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-valdano/) > [“Don't ever be discouraged with yourself because you have not arrived at success, but instead be pleased that you are pressing toward it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/don-t-ever-be-discouraged-with-yourself-because-you-have-not-arrived/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Success, instead of giving freedom of choice, becomes a way of life. There's no country I've been to where people, when you come into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/success-instead-of-giving-freedom-of-choice-becomes-a-way-of-life-2/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [Success, instead of giving freedom ofchoice, becomes a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/success-instead-of-giving-freedom-ofchoice-becomes-a-way-of-life/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [Success, instead of giving freedom of choice, becomes a way of life. There's no country I've been to where people, when you come into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/success-instead-of-giving-freedom-of-choice-becomes-a-way-of-life/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“Success is, instead, an intentional approach to life that ensures you are a faithful steward of your gifts and talents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newberry-tommy/success-is-instead-an-intentional-approach-to-life-that-ensures-you/) [Newberry, Tommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newberry-tommy/) > [Successful people form habits that feed their success, instead of habits that feed their failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-olson/successful-people-form-habits-that-feed-their-success-instead-of/) [Jeff Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-olson/) > [“Of course, the Grimnoir thought they were the good guys. Everybody thought they were in the right. The evilest bastards he had ever met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-course-the-grimnoir-thought-they-were-the-good-guys-everybody/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Joseph Heller > [“Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. "That's some catch, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/yossarian-was-moved-very-deeply-by-the-absolute-simplicity-of-this/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [From men motivated by moral certitude, history teaches, no lasting good ever comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/from-men-motivated-by-moral-certitude-history-teaches-no-lasting-good/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [I’m cold,' Snowden said softly, 'I’m cold.' 'You’re going to be all right, kid,' Yossarian reassured him with a grin. 'You’re going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/i-m-cold-snowden-said-softly-i-m-cold-you-re-going-to-be-all-right/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/the-enemy-is-anybody-who-s-going-to-get-you-killed-no-matter-which/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“They think that they’re smart and that the rest of us are dumb.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/they-think-that-they-re-smart-and-that-the-rest-of-us-are-dumb/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/there-was-only-one-catch-and-that-was-catch-22-which-specified-that-a/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Captain Flume was obsessed with the idea that Chief White Halfoat would tiptoe up to his cot one night when he was sound asleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/captain-flume-was-obsessed-with-the-idea-that-chief-white-halfoat/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Depreciating motels, junked automobiles, and quick-food joints grow like amber waves of grain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/depreciating-motels-junked-automobiles-and-quick-food-joints-grow/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“That was where he wanted to be if he had to be there at all, instead of hung out there in front like some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/that-was-where-he-wanted-to-be-if-he-had-to-be-there-at-all-instead/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [I had examined myself pretty thoroughly and discovered that I was unfit for military service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/i-had-examined-myself-pretty-thoroughly-and-discovered-that-i-was/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Yossarian was moved by such intense pity for his poverty that he wanted to smash his pale. sad, sickly face with his fist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/yossarian-was-moved-by-such-intense-pity-for-his-poverty-that-he/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [You have deep-seated survival anxieties. And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate." "Consciously, sir, consciously,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/you-have-deep-seated-survival-anxieties-and-you-don-t-like-bigots/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“His specialty was alfalfa, and he made a good thing out of not growing any. The government paid him well for every bushel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/his-specialty-was-alfalfa-and-he-made-a-good-thing-out-of-not-growing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Every writer I know has trouble writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/every-writer-i-know-has-trouble-writing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“No such private nights of ecstasy or hushed-up drinking and sex orgies ever occurred. They might have occurred if either General Dreedle or General…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/no-such-private-nights-of-ecstasy-or-hushed-up-drinking-and-sex/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) [Explore all 420 Joseph Heller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## More Dumb luck quotes > [“Of course, the Grimnoir thought they were the good guys. Everybody thought they were in the right. The evilest bastards he had ever met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-course-the-grimnoir-thought-they-were-the-good-guys-everybody/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Honestly, I think it's dumb luck that I'm able to kind of get away doing different types of films in different genres. There's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/honestly-i-think-it-s-dumb-luck-that-i-m-able-to-kind-of-get-away/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [“And though history sadly doesn't credit the man who first thought of tilting a bicycle's steering axis, it is more likely to be because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn/and-though-history-sadly-doesn-t-credit-the-man-who-first-thought-of/) [Robert Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn/) > [“Sometimes chance is on the believer’s side and he or she does resolve the problems after praying or otherwise petitioning the supernatural, and that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/sometimes-chance-is-on-the-believer-s-side-and-he-or-she-does-resolve/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [I met Jay Jonhson. I won him the way poor people occasionally win the lottery: Shameless perseverance and embarrassingly dumb luck, and every time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-met-jay-jonhson-i-won-him-the-way-poor-people-occasionally-win-the/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [“Then again, she had-through a bizarre combination of skill, dumb luck and incredible misfortune-managed to build up a file any Debunker would envy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/then-again-she-had-through-a-bizarre-combination-of-skill-dumb-luck/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [“Growing up in a family of gamblers, daredevils and practical jokers, I've learned a lot about timing and its first cousin, dumb luck, concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-speed/growing-up-in-a-family-of-gamblers-daredevils-and-practical-jokers-i/) [Toby Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-speed/) > [No luck was dumb because luck was just another name for miracle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/no-luck-was-dumb-because-luck-was-just-another-name-for-miracle/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Hard work, determination, and talent are key for any successful venture. But sometimes you need that fourth ingredient: dumb luck. Luck can never replace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-rosmarin/hard-work-determination-and-talent-are-key-for-any-successful-venture/) [Abby Rosmarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-rosmarin/) > [“He stared back at me so blatantly I wanted to smack him. “I know. Like I said, that… was never my intention. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/he-stared-back-at-me-so-blatantly-i-wanted-to-smack-him-i-know-like-i/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [“Through a determined program of sheer dumb luck and liberal applications of THC I had managed never to impregnate a woman before,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/through-a-determined-program-of-sheer-dumb-luck-and-liberal/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [As artists, we are so not in control most of the time of the content or the narrative of our characters, and sometimes writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/as-artists-we-are-so-not-in-control-most-of-the-time-of-the-content/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [“Sadly, many storytellers and artists are still addicted to the old delusions (happy is boring, evil is interesting) about the risks of good mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/sadly-many-storytellers-and-artists-are-still-addicted-to-the-old/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [“1) Every cause produces a corresponding effect, so an intelligent effect is likely caused by an intelligent cause. 2) It is statistically impossible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-klingenberg/1-every-cause-produces-a-corresponding-effect-so-an-intelligent/) [Arne Klingenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-klingenberg/) > [It's far too much to say that effective hoping is the only - or even the biggest - part of what it takes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-kluger/it-s-far-too-much-to-say-that-effective-hoping-is-the-only-or-even/) [Jeffrey Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-kluger/) [Browse all 42 Dumb luck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumb-luck/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“All were successful,and felt like failures. Gold no longer pretended to understand the nature of success.Instead,he pretended not to. He knew the components that were necessary: None, or maybe one: Dumb luck”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Heller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failures-gold-no-longer-pretended/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dumb luck" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failures-gold-no-longer-pretended/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/joseph-heller-601_dumb-luck_all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failur_1990297.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/joseph-heller-601_dumb-luck_all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failur_1990297.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/joseph-heller-601_dumb-luck_all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failur_1990297.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All were successful,and felt like failures. Gold no longer pretended to understand the nature of…” — Joseph Heller", "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": "Joseph Heller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“All were successful,and felt like failures....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failures-gold-no-longer-pretended/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/all-were-successful-and-felt-like-failures-gold-no-longer-pretended/#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 } } ] } ```