--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We prematurely write off people as…" description: "\"We prematurely write off people as failures. We are too much in awe of those who succeed and far too dismissive of those who fail.\" — Malcolm Gladwell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/malcolm-gladwell-348_awe_we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failu_2543796.png" --- # We prematurely write off people as failures. We are too… ![“We prematurely write off people as failures. We are too much in awe of those who succeed and far too dismissive of those who fail.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/malcolm-gladwell-348_awe_we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failu_2543796.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/malcolm-gladwell-348_awe_we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failu_2543796.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/malcolm-gladwell-348_awe_we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failu_2543796.png) > “We prematurely write off people as failures. We are too much in awe of those who succeed and far too dismissive of those who fail.” [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warns against dismissing people who have not yet succeeded, urging appreciation of effort and potential. **In simple terms:** Don’t judge people solely by success. Key Takeaway Value effort, not just outcomes. Themes judgment potential failure success Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - workplace hiring - entrepreneurship Key Concepts psychology social bias Questions to Reflect On - How can we better recognize hidden potential? - What biases affect our judgments? A Different Perspective Success stories can still bias perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [Dismissive Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dismissive-fail-1458242/) [Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures/) [Failures Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures-awe-1458241/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-failures-1458240/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“We are too much in awe of those who succeed and far too dismissive of those who fail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-too-much-in-awe-of-those-who-succeed-and-far-too-dismissive-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those who never take risks can only see other people's failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/those-who-never-take-risks-can-only-see-other-people-s-failures/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Some people talk about other people’s failures with so much pleasure that you would swear they are talking about their own successes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-people-talk-about-other-people-s-failures-with-so-much-pleasure/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [There are two types of people who are failures in life. .. Those who do not listen to anybody and those who listen to everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-two-types-of-people-who-are-failures-in-life-those-who-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With stand-up, it's more interesting to hear about people's failures than their successes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aziz-ansari/with-stand-up-it-s-more-interesting-to-hear-about-people-s-failures/) [Aziz Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aziz-ansari/) > [I might look successful but I've made many mistakes. People take their failures too seriously. You have to be positive and believe you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadashi-yanai/i-might-look-successful-but-i-ve-made-many-mistakes-people-take-their/) [Tadashi Yanai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadashi-yanai/) > [You will be wounded many times in your life. You'll make mistakes. Some people will call them failures but I have learned that failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/you-will-be-wounded-many-times-in-your-life-you-ll-make-mistakes-some/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [The happy people are failures because they are on such good terms with themselves they don't give a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/the-happy-people-are-failures-because-they-are-on-such-good-terms/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“A true businessman capitalizes off other people's failures & problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keriza/a-true-businessman-capitalizes-off-other-people-s-failures-problems/) [Keriza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keriza/) > [Mistakes are the best teachers. One does not learn from success. It is desirable to learn vicariously from other people's failures, but it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohnish-pabrai/mistakes-are-the-best-teachers-one-does-not-learn-from-success-it-is/) [Mohnish Pabrai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohnish-pabrai/) > [Only those who do not expect anything are never disappointed. Only those who never try, never fail. Anyone who is currently achieving anything in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis-mason/only-those-who-do-not-expect-anything-are-never-disappointed-only/) [John Landis Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis-mason/) > [“Through forgiveness you can be free of the tragedies and pain in other people's failures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/through-forgiveness-you-can-be-free-of-the-tragedies-and-pain-in/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Failure turns into success. It looks like it happens overnight to other people, but it's just one person's determination to get past a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-guzman/failure-turns-into-success-it-looks-like-it-happens-overnight-to/) [Ryan Guzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-guzman/) > [Don't listen to the malicious comments of those friends who, never taking any risks themselves, can only see other people's failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/don-t-listen-to-the-malicious-comments-of-those-friends-who-never/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The difference between successful people and failures is rather simple. Those who succeed recall past successes and wins. And those who fail remember only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prakah-iyer/the-difference-between-successful-people-and-failures-is-rather/) [Prakah Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prakah-iyer/) ## More by Malcolm Gladwell > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) [Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More Awe quotes > [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [“I know you deserve better than me. You think I don’t know that? But if there was any woman made for me … it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/i-know-you-deserve-better-than-me-you-think-i-don-t-know-that-but-if/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [There are certain scenes that would awe an atheist into belief without the help of any other argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gray/there-are-certain-scenes-that-would-awe-an-atheist-into-belief/) [Thomas Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gray/) > [As we contemplate with reverence and awe how our Savior embraces us, comforts us, and heals us, let us commit to become His hands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/as-we-contemplate-with-reverence-and-awe-how-our-savior-embraces-us/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [My journey deep into coma, outside this lowly physical realm and into the loftiest dwelling place of the almighty Creator, revealed the indescribably immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/my-journey-deep-into-coma-outside-this-lowly-physical-realm-and-into/) [Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/) > [Awe combined with intimacy is the essence of Christian worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/awe-combined-with-intimacy-is-the-essence-of-christian-worship/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [“Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but-only-when-we-ourselves-are/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [The laws of nature are the skeleton of the universe. They support it, give it shape, tie it together. Taken as a whole, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-trefil/the-laws-of-nature-are-the-skeleton-of-the-universe-they-support-it/) [James Trefil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-trefil/) > [When you look at yourself and feel dissatisfaction about any part of you, you will continue to attract feelings of dissatisfaction, because the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/when-you-look-at-yourself-and-feel-dissatisfaction-about-any-part-of/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [“What can we make of the inexpressible joy of children? It is a kind of gratitude, I think—the gratitude of the ten-year-old who wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/what-can-we-make-of-the-inexpressible-joy-of-children-it-is-a-kind-of/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [Sometimes not seeing things can be a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/sometimes-not-seeing-things-can-be-a-blessing/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [I'm always in awe at how fast television is and how quickly you're called upon to be 100 percent invested in a character with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-richardson/i-m-always-in-awe-at-how-fast-television-is-and-how-quickly-you-re/) [LaTanya Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latanya-richardson/) [Browse all 1,119 Awe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We prematurely write off people as failures. We are too much in awe of those who succeed and far too dismissive of those who fail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Gladwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failures-we-are-too-much-in-awe-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failures-we-are-too-much-in-awe-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/malcolm-gladwell-348_awe_we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failu_2543796.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/malcolm-gladwell-348_awe_we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failu_2543796.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/malcolm-gladwell-348_awe_we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failu_2543796.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We prematurely write off people as failures. We are too much in awe of those who succeed and far too…” — Malcolm Gladwell", "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": "Malcolm Gladwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We prematurely write off people as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failures-we-are-too-much-in-awe-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-prematurely-write-off-people-as-failures-we-are-too-much-in-awe-of/#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 } } ] } ```