--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There ain’t no such thing as mistakes…" description: "\"“There ain’t no such thing as mistakes, Dorothy. There’s only shit that happens and shit that don’t.”\" — Madeline Sheehan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/madeline-sheehan-2398_failure_there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-mistakes-do_1262778.jpg" --- # There ain’t no such thing as mistakes, Dorothy. There’s… ![“There ain’t no such thing as mistakes, Dorothy. There’s only shit that happens and shit that don’t.” quote by Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/madeline-sheehan-2398_failure_there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-mistakes-do_1262778.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/madeline-sheehan-2398_failure_there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-mistakes-do_1262778.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/madeline-sheehan-2398_failure_there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-mistakes-do_1262778.jpg) > ““There ain’t no such thing as mistakes, Dorothy. There’s only shit that happens and shit that don’t.”” [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) ## 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 reframed as inevitable outcomes, encouraging acceptance of all experiences. **In simple terms:** There are no mistakes, only outcomes. Key Takeaway Accept events as they come, without judgment. Themes acceptance resilience mindset mistakes growth Mood thoughtful calm Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - daily setbacks - career decisions - relationship challenges - creative projects Key Concepts philosophy cognitive reframing life lessons Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing errors as outcomes change your response? - Can acceptance hinder learning from negative results? A Different Perspective Some outcomes may have harmful consequences despite acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) ## Related quotes > [“Ain’t no such thing as mistakes,” he said. “There’s only shit that happens and shit that don’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/ain-t-no-such-thing-as-mistakes-he-said-there-s-only-shit-that/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [I behaved poorly by starting this whole thing and I made some mistakes in dealing with it, and they made some mistakes in dealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-easterbrook/i-behaved-poorly-by-starting-this-whole-thing-and-i-made-some/) [Gregg Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-easterbrook/) > [That's the thing about mistakes, you don't dwell on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/that-s-the-thing-about-mistakes-you-don-t-dwell-on-them/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > ["There’s no such thing as mistakes – only a lack of foresight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/there-s-no-such-thing-as-mistakes-only-a-lack-of-foresight/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [“Only fools saw mistakes as a bad thing—mistakes were experience, no matter how good or bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-r-frazier/only-fools-saw-mistakes-as-a-bad-thing-mistakes-were-experience-no/) Sean R. Frazier > [To be honest ,... we both made mistakes you were wrong, so was I. This realationship is not working between us. Now it's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syoung/to-be-honest-we-both-made-mistakes-you-were-wrong-so-was-i-this/) Syoung > [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/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [So what?Everyone makes mistakes.And so what?You at least learn from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-what-everyone-makes-mistakes-and-so-what-you-at-least-learn-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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. 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Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [When you make mistakes during routines, it's not easy getting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-sacramone/when-you-make-mistakes-during-routines-it-s-not-easy-getting-through/) [Alicia Sacramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-sacramone/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) ## More by Madeline Sheehan > [“Life was made up of moments, big ones and little, the good and bad, dark and light. We never remembered the gray, the times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/life-was-made-up-of-moments-big-ones-and-little-the-good-and-bad-dark/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“...Love isn’t a fucking answer. It hurts more than it doesn’t, it’s harder than it is easy, it takes work, guts, and perseverance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/love-isn-t-a-fucking-answer-it-hurts-more-than-it-doesn-t-it-s-harder/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“My longtime broken heart was breaking again, shattering, falling to pieces and disintegrating. And in its place was a brand new heart. Like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/my-longtime-broken-heart-was-breaking-again-shattering-falling-to/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“It was official. I was an asshole with a permanently broken heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/it-was-official-i-was-an-asshole-with-a-permanently-broken-heart/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“Still wearin' Chucks and singin' out of tune I see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/still-wearin-chucks-and-singin-out-of-tune-i-see/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“You got a nickname, little Dorothy Matthews? ’Cause that’s a fuckin’ mouthful, right there. Not that I mind a mouthful of pretty girl.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/you-got-a-nickname-little-dorothy-matthews-cause-that-s-a-fuckin/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“He looked down at his flaccid cock. "Congratulations," he said. "You've just fucked yourself to death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/he-looked-down-at-his-flaccid-cock-congratulations-he-said-you-ve/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“ I'd do it all again," he whispered, crying as he cradled me against his chest." I'd go through the hell of losing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/i-d-do-it-all-again-he-whispered-crying-as-he-cradled-me-against-his/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“Kami, do you have a weapon?" "No, I do not have a fucking weapon!" Kami screamed over her shoulder. "Do you really think I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/kami-do-you-have-a-weapon-no-i-do-not-have-a-fucking-weapon-kami/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“If you were older, darlin', I'd have you on the back of my bike and in my fuckin' bed. And you'd be not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/if-you-were-older-darlin-i-d-have-you-on-the-back-of-my-bike-and-in/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“But even after all this time, he'd stupidly held out hope, hadn't he? He'd clung to the memories of their time together like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/but-even-after-all-this-time-he-d-stupidly-held-out-hope-hadn-t-he-he/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“Everything has beauty. Even the ugly. Because without the ugly, there would be no beauty. Because without beauty, we would not survive our pain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/everything-has-beauty-even-the-ugly-because-without-the-ugly-there/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“Because baby, I'm wild pussy and wild pussy can't be bought. 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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": "“There ain’t no such thing as mistakes, Dorothy. 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