--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think someone should explain to the…" description: "\"I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes.\" — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_basketball_i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-ch_1548480.png" --- # I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK… ![“I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes.” quote by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_basketball_i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-ch_1548480.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_basketball_i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-ch_1548480.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_basketball_i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-ch_1548480.png) > “I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes.” [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mistakes are essential for learning; they are natural in competition and growth. **In simple terms:** Mistakes teach us. Key Takeaway Accept errors as learning tools. Themes growth mistakes competition Mood encouraging optimistic Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - sports - education - personal development Key Concepts learning resilience Questions to Reflect On - What mistakes have taught you most? - How can you create a safe space for errors? A Different Perspective Fear of failure can hinder risk‑taking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Making mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-mistakes/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [We all make mistakes, and it's not until we make mistakes that we learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-hemsworth/we-all-make-mistakes-and-it-s-not-until-we-make-mistakes-that-we-learn/) [Liam Hemsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-hemsworth/) > [If we make mistakes, as we all do - don't run from God, run to Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/if-we-make-mistakes-as-we-all-do-don-t-run-from-god-run-to-him/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) > [When we make mistakes they call it evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/when-we-make-mistakes-they-call-it-evil/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [It is not futile to do what we do. We wake up with energy and we do something. And we make, of course, failures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/it-is-not-futile-to-do-what-we-do-we-wake-up-with-energy-and-we-do/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [The key question companies need to address is not 'Should we make mistakes?' but rather 'Which mistakes should we make in order to test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-j-h-schoemaker/the-key-question-companies-need-to-address-is-not-should-we-make/) [Paul J. H. Schoemaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-j-h-schoemaker/) > [Look, we are human, we make mistakes. I will gladly shout from the rooftops that I am not perfect. Nor will I ever be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianna-agron/look-we-are-human-we-make-mistakes-i-will-gladly-shout-from-the/) [Dianna Agron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianna-agron/) > [How do you sleep at night, wake to the day, not knowing if the child you made is ok.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-maxwell/how-do-you-sleep-at-night-wake-to-the-day-not-knowing-if-the-child/) Vicki Maxwell > [Don't be afraid to make your own mistakes while you learn, But be careful not to repeat someone else's! Observe,Think,Learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simi-ngr/don-t-be-afraid-to-make-your-own-mistakes-while-you-learn-but-be/) [Simi Ngr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simi-ngr/) > [Delegate completely. Let people make mistakes and learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/delegate-completely-let-people-make-mistakes-and-learn/) [Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/) > [I like to practise. With every new piece, you make mistakes and you learn. So it's important to get on and have another go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-mcgregor/i-like-to-practise-with-every-new-piece-you-make-mistakes-and-you/) [Wayne McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-mcgregor/) > [Look, you have to make mistakes. That's how you learn and that's how the world works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-campbell/look-you-have-to-make-mistakes-that-s-how-you-learn-and-that-s-how/) [Naomi Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-campbell/) > [I always push forward. It doesn't mean that I'll be perfect. I make mistakes -- but I learn from my mistakes, and move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-stojko/i-always-push-forward-it-doesn-t-mean-that-i-ll-be-perfect-i-make/) [Elvis Stojko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-stojko/) > [You make mistakes to learn from not to keep making the same mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-make-mistakes-to-learn-from-not-to-keep-making-the-same-mistakes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“How do you explain to a child who likes everyone in the world that adult life consists to a great extent of cutting people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-emmerson/how-do-you-explain-to-a-child-who-likes-everyone-in-the-world-that/) [Miranda Emmerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-emmerson/) > [But then as time passed, I learned the lesson that parents do early on. You fail sometimes. No matter how much you love your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/but-then-as-time-passed-i-learned-the-lesson-that-parents-do-early-on/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) ## More by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar > [I saw Islam as the correct way to live, and I chose to try to live that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-saw-islam-as-the-correct-way-to-live-and-i-chose-to-try-to-live/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Justice should be blind especially color-blind and able to fairly deal with the very real need for honest law enforcement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/justice-should-be-blind-especially-color-blind-and-able-to-fairly/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I think Kwame will be an asset to the Lakers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-kwame-will-be-an-asset-to-the-lakers/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I think a lot of people, if they get the opportunity to do some acting, they think, 'I might be a star.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-a-lot-of-people-if-they-get-the-opportunity-to-do-some-acting/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [LeBron James can get a shot off under any and all circumstances and he makes them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/lebron-james-can-get-a-shot-off-under-any-and-all-circumstances-and/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [People still cheat on their wives, that hasn't fallen out of fashion. We all speak of it badly, but it has not fallen out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/people-still-cheat-on-their-wives-that-hasn-t-fallen-out-of-fashion/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [If not shown appreciation, it gets to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/if-not-shown-appreciation-it-gets-to-you/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Yoga is somewhat hard to quantify in terms of benefits because you see them in all the injuries you don't get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/yoga-is-somewhat-hard-to-quantify-in-terms-of-benefits-because-you/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [“The person who has some awareness of the past knows how to fashion a rudder and which direction land is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/the-person-who-has-some-awareness-of-the-past-knows-how-to-fashion-a/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [ Common decency demands that \[NCAA athletes\] should be paid, but the only way it will happen is the same way workers got paid throughout… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/common-decency-demands-that-ncaa-athletes-should-be-paid-but-the-only/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Your mind is what makes everything else work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/your-mind-is-what-makes-everything-else-work/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I listen to jazz mainly. Mainstream jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-listen-to-jazz-mainly-mainstream-jazz/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [When a rap song glorifies violence, death and sadness and loss is inflicted because of the violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/when-a-rap-song-glorifies-violence-death-and-sadness-and-loss-is/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [As brilliant an individual that Michael Jordan was, he was not successful until he got with a good team unit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/as-brilliant-an-individual-that-michael-jordan-was-he-was-not/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [If I hadn't become a professional basketball player, I would have become a history teacher. There's so much to learn from history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/if-i-hadn-t-become-a-professional-basketball-player-i-would-have/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) [Explore all 199 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) ## More Basketball quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-learned-so-much-from-sue-about-the-xs-and-os-of-the-game-of/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [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/) > [Basketball isn't just a sport to me ; it's my ecstasy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamira-robinson/basketball-isn-t-just-a-sport-to-me-it-s-my-ecstasy/) [Jamira Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamira-robinson/) > [It's similar to basketball: when you go to different gyms and win or lose, you learn something new. So when kids get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/it-s-similar-to-basketball-when-you-go-to-different-gyms-and-win-or/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I'm a competitive person. I love the game of basketball. I'm a gym rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-m-a-competitive-person-i-love-the-game-of-basketball-i-m-a-gym-rat/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [What I've talked about the entire series and throughout this playoffs is about intensity and effort, desire and will of our players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laimbeer/what-i-ve-talked-about-the-entire-series-and-throughout-this-playoffs/) [Bill Laimbeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laimbeer/) [Browse all 5,387 Basketball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-child-that-it-s-ok-to-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basketball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-child-that-it-s-ok-to-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_basketball_i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-ch_1548480.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_basketball_i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-ch_1548480.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_basketball_i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-ch_1548480.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we…” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar", "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": "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think someone should explain to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-child-that-it-s-ok-to-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-someone-should-explain-to-the-child-that-it-s-ok-to-make/#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 } } ] } ```