--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Failure is rarely a conscious decision…" description: "\"“Failure is rarely a conscious decision and it’s often out of our control, determined by things like physics and circumstance and other people. What we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/kevin-hearne-991_conscious-decision_failure-is-rarely-a-conscious-decision-a_766458.jpg" --- # Failure is rarely a conscious decision and it’s often out… ![“Failure is rarely a conscious decision and it’s often out of our control, determined by things like physics and circumstance and other people. What we can always control, however, is our reaction to failure.” quote by Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/kevin-hearne-991_conscious-decision_failure-is-rarely-a-conscious-decision-a_766458.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/kevin-hearne-991_conscious-decision_failure-is-rarely-a-conscious-decision-a_766458.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/kevin-hearne-991_conscious-decision_failure-is-rarely-a-conscious-decision-a_766458.jpg) > ““Failure is rarely a conscious decision and it’s often out of our control, determined by things like physics and circumstance and other people. What we can always control, however, is our reaction to failure.”” [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Failure often stems from external factors; we control our response. **In simple terms:** External causes, internal reaction. Key Takeaway Focus on managing reactions to setbacks. Themes failure control responsibility Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal setbacks - team failures - public criticism Key Concepts psychology resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate controllable vs. uncontrollable aspects? - What strategies help you respond constructively? A Different Perspective Ignoring external causes can lead to victim mentality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscious decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-decision/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ## Related quotes > [“Of course, I didn’t choose to fail. Failure is rarely a conscious decision and it’s often out of our control, determined by things like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/of-course-i-didn-t-choose-to-fail-failure-is-rarely-a-conscious/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/everything-is-determined-the-beginning-as-well-as-the-end-by-forces/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Jason you can't control the universe and everything that happens in it, but you can control your reaction to it. You can control you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/han-nolan/jason-you-can-t-control-the-universe-and-everything-that-happens-in/) [Han Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/han-nolan/) > [The important thing is that I control my reaction, my behavior, my attitude and my words. What I receive back is not in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-gosselin/the-important-thing-is-that-i-control-my-reaction-my-behavior-my/) [Kate Gosselin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-gosselin/) > [“You can’t control someone else’s behavior toward you, but you can control your own reaction and how your meaning-making machine construes that behavior.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vishen-lakhiani/you-can-t-control-someone-else-s-behavior-toward-you-but-you-can/) [Vishen Lakhiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vishen-lakhiani/) > [I've never thought of myself as having that much of a temper. But it's true that I can't stand it when things are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-robuchon/i-ve-never-thought-of-myself-as-having-that-much-of-a-temper-but-it-s/) [Joel Robuchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-robuchon/) > [...remind yourself that the only thing you can truly control is you - and your reaction to what the world throws at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-m-regan/remind-yourself-that-the-only-thing-you-can-truly-control-is-you-and/) Patrick M. Regan > [“Power is in control, not reaction”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-peterson/power-is-in-control-not-reaction/) Jerome Peterson > [“What other people think of you is none of your business," she says. "You can't change it, you can't control it. The only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-hatvany-yurk/what-other-people-think-of-you-is-none-of-your-business-she-says-you/) [Amy Hatvany (Yurk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-hatvany-yurk/) > [Things will happen. You can't stop them from happening, but you can control your reaction from making things worse. React Positively. Live Happily.-RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/things-will-happen-you-can-t-stop-them-from-happening-but-you-can/) RVM > [“IF YOU CAN’T CONTROL PEOPLE, THEN CONTROL YOUR REACTION TO THEM. IF YOU CAN’T CONTROL A SITUATION, THEN PREPARE FOR IT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilly-singh/if-you-can-t-control-people-then-control-your-reaction-to-them-if-you/) [Lilly Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilly-singh/) > [The conscious decision, early on, was that I was going to live in New York. That was it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/the-conscious-decision-early-on-was-that-i-was-going-to-live-in-new/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [It's a conscious decision to keep trying to do something new, to do things that excite me from my gut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupriya-goenka/it-s-a-conscious-decision-to-keep-trying-to-do-something-new-to-do/) [Anupriya Goenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupriya-goenka/) > [I've made this conscious decision to tell people on the street when I think they're wearing something great. If more people did that, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-jensen/i-ve-made-this-conscious-decision-to-tell-people-on-the-street-when-i/) [Ashley Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-jensen/) > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) ## More by Kevin Hearne > [Whoa. He had ghouls on speed dial. My lawyer kicks so much ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/whoa-he-had-ghouls-on-speed-dial-my-lawyer-kicks-so-much-ass/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“I bet it’s a universal truth: You eat your pie or go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-bet-it-s-a-universal-truth-you-eat-your-pie-or-go-home/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“Like many silly codes of bravery and manliness, the meat of my father’s instruction on how to die well can be distilled to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/like-many-silly-codes-of-bravery-and-manliness-the-meat-of-my-father/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [Wow you need to get some sun.” “Shut up. I'm Irish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/wow-you-need-to-get-some-sun-shut-up-i-m-irish/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“Hence the reason I encourage you to believe what you wish. The heaven of teh Pastafarians is supposed to have beer volcanoes, which sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/hence-the-reason-i-encourage-you-to-believe-what-you-wish-the-heaven/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [Awesome! I'd just bullied Jesus into doing a shot with me. Nobody would ever believe it, but I didn't care. We ordered the insanely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/awesome-i-d-just-bullied-jesus-into-doing-a-shot-with-me-nobody-would/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“I thought for the longest time that chicken-fried steak was steak that had been fried by specially trained chickens,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-thought-for-the-longest-time-that-chicken-fried-steak-was-steak/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [When he said to give him the sword, I don’t think he meant for you to stick it in his guts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/when-he-said-to-give-him-the-sword-i-don-t-think-he-meant-for-you-to/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“Oh sweet kraken tits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/oh-sweet-kraken-tits/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“No. See, when you throw up you're vomiting, but when you throw down you're starting a fight, as in throwing down the gauntlet." "Ohhhh,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/no-see-when-you-throw-up-you-re-vomiting-but-when-you-throw-down-you/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“The grin on his face wasn’t the affable, friendly sort; instead, it was the sociopathic rictus of the irretrievably, bug-fuckeringly insane”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/the-grin-on-his-face-wasn-t-the-affable-friendly-sort-instead-it-was/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“What sealed the deal for me was that the cloak wouldn't come off without a generous donation of my tears. Those used to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/what-sealed-the-deal-for-me-was-that-the-cloak-wouldn-t-come-off/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [On a Creep Scale from Hello Kitty to Cthulhu, I award it a Freddy Krueger. Granuaile MacTiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/on-a-creep-scale-from-hello-kitty-to-cthulhu-i-award-it-a-freddy/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“So this means you're spoiling me right?" Can't Help it. You're the best hound ever. Oberon's tail thumped a few times and his mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/so-this-means-you-re-spoiling-me-right-can-t-help-it-you-re-the-best/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [“Out, out, thou strumpet Fortune!" I cried with all the venom of Charlton Heston. Oberon asked. "It's a Shakespearean word for whore." ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/out-out-thou-strumpet-fortune-i-cried-with-all-the-venom-of-charlton/) [kevin hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) [Explore all 311 Kevin Hearne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) ## More Conscious decision quotes > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [I've made this conscious decision to tell people on the street when I think they're wearing something great. If more people did that, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-jensen/i-ve-made-this-conscious-decision-to-tell-people-on-the-street-when-i/) [Ashley Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-jensen/) > [It's a conscious decision to keep trying to do something new, to do things that excite me from my gut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupriya-goenka/it-s-a-conscious-decision-to-keep-trying-to-do-something-new-to-do/) [Anupriya Goenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupriya-goenka/) > [The conscious decision, early on, was that I was going to live in New York. That was it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/the-conscious-decision-early-on-was-that-i-was-going-to-live-in-new/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [I have no major regrets. I've made the conscious decision not to look at life that way. I always try to learn something -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-anne-moss/i-have-no-major-regrets-i-ve-made-the-conscious-decision-not-to-look/) [Carrie-Anne Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-anne-moss/) > [It wasn't a conscious decision to pick only positive roles. Things just fell into place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiten-tejwani/it-wasn-t-a-conscious-decision-to-pick-only-positive-roles-things/) [Hiten Tejwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiten-tejwani/) > [“Everything you could be is dependent upon you making a conscious decision to open up to this river of light within yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-vickers/everything-you-could-be-is-dependent-upon-you-making-a-conscious/) [Lee Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-vickers/) > [I made a conscious decision back then that I would rather be the best actress who ever lived than the most famous one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-kirkland/i-made-a-conscious-decision-back-then-that-i-would-rather-be-the-best/) [Sally Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-kirkland/) > [I've always wanted to write, I've always wanted to direct. The conscious decision was always to not be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levinson/i-ve-always-wanted-to-write-i-ve-always-wanted-to-direct-the/) [Sam Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levinson/) > [“There are two decisions you need to make after you have accepted Jesus into your life. One: You need to make the decision to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corallie-buchanan/there-are-two-decisions-you-need-to-make-after-you-have-accepted/) [Corallie Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corallie-buchanan/) > [I made a conscious decision when I was recording 'Acoustic Soul' to - and this is one of my mantras - follow the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/i-made-a-conscious-decision-when-i-was-recording-acoustic-soul-to-and/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [I made a conscious decision when I was writing that book to depict in real time how I treated it, and how I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-febos/i-made-a-conscious-decision-when-i-was-writing-that-book-to-depict-in/) [Melissa Febos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-febos/) > [My conscious decision has always been to do work that's meaningful and play characters that give something to the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huma-qureshi/my-conscious-decision-has-always-been-to-do-work-that-s-meaningful/) [Huma Qureshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huma-qureshi/) > [I've never made a conscious decision to choose work over other considerations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-berejiklian/i-ve-never-made-a-conscious-decision-to-choose-work-over-other/) [Gladys Berejiklian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-berejiklian/) > [It's a conscious decision, a full-time job, to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerli/it-s-a-conscious-decision-a-full-time-job-to-be-happy/) [Kerli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerli/) [Browse all 93 Conscious decision quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-decision/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Failure is rarely a conscious decision and it’s often out of our control, determined by things like physics and circumstance and other people. 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