--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my early career, there were more…" description: "\"In my early career, there were more negative lessons than positive ones. But I don't think I was looking for the positives enough.\" — Mark Pincus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/mark-pincus-12486_early_in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negat_1292087.jpg" --- # In my early career, there were more negative lessons than… ![“In my early career, there were more negative lessons than positive ones. But I don't think I was looking for the positives enough.” quote by Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/mark-pincus-12486_early_in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negat_1292087.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/mark-pincus-12486_early_in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negat_1292087.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/mark-pincus-12486_early_in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negat_1292087.jpg) > “In my early career, there were more negative lessons than positive ones. But I don't think I was looking for the positives enough.” [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early career often teaches more through failures than successes, yet focusing on positives can be overlooked. **In simple terms:** Early career teaches more from failures; positives are missed. Key Takeaway Seek positive lessons alongside negatives. Themes career growth learning mindset Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice motivational When to use this quote - job interviews - mentorship - self‑assessment Key Concepts growth mindset reflection resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance learning from mistakes with recognizing successes? - What positive outcomes have you missed? A Different Perspective Negatives can dominate perception, obscuring valuable insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) ## Related quotes > [I am a strong believer in looking at the positives of everything and setting up your image for the long-term.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-de-minaur/i-am-a-strong-believer-in-looking-at-the-positives-of-everything-and/) [Alex de Minaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-de-minaur/) > [Most of my career was negative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-maravich/most-of-my-career-was-negative/) [Pete Maravich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-maravich/) > [You can learn new things from anyone, but choose people who teach you in a positive way rather than a negative one. Some lessons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/you-can-learn-new-things-from-anyone-but-choose-people-who-teach-you/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [Reagan has very significant things to teach us - positive lessons and quite negative lessons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/reagan-has-very-significant-things-to-teach-us-positive-lessons-and/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez was a major part of my early career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-leon-talley/fashion-illustrator-antonio-lopez-was-a-major-part-of-my-early-career/) [Andre Leon Talley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-leon-talley/) > [Sometimes early in my career I thought what I did was who I was. As you mature, I've learned that is not the case.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/sometimes-early-in-my-career-i-thought-what-i-did-was-who-i-was-as/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [There was a period of time early in my career where I was like, 'I'm gonna definitely fight. I definitely want to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/there-was-a-period-of-time-early-in-my-career-where-i-was-like-i-m/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [I vividly remember early on in my career when I was eight months pregnant, working literally around the clock, and worrying that each trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/i-vividly-remember-early-on-in-my-career-when-i-was-eight-months/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [Early on in my career, I used to get out in the 30s, 40s, fifties, and 60s. So I really appreciated reaching my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/early-on-in-my-career-i-used-to-get-out-in-the-30s-40s-fifties-and/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [Disney has been such a big part of my early career. I've done two pilots for Disney, and I've been working with them since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-boldman/disney-has-been-such-a-big-part-of-my-early-career-i-ve-done-two/) [Spencer Boldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-boldman/) > [It's very confusing when fame comes early on in your career. You get a little bit bent out of shape in terms of what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clayton/it-s-very-confusing-when-fame-comes-early-on-in-your-career-you-get-a/) [Adam Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clayton/) > [I was so lucky and blessed to have gotten 'White Chicks' so early into my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rochelle-aytes/i-was-so-lucky-and-blessed-to-have-gotten-white-chicks-so-early-into/) [Rochelle Aytes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rochelle-aytes/) > [One of my earlier films is 'Quigley Down Under.' That was early on in my career, and that was horsey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/one-of-my-earlier-films-is-quigley-down-under-that-was-early-on-in-my/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [I had a checkered early career, for sure, with a lot of very unhappy experiences where pictures got taken away, re-cut, re-titled... all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-had-a-checkered-early-career-for-sure-with-a-lot-of-very-unhappy/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [Actually, I went from doing a lot of movies early on in my career, then to doing TV, and I don't know whether we'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-norris/actually-i-went-from-doing-a-lot-of-movies-early-on-in-my-career-then/) [Dean Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-norris/) ## More by Mark Pincus > [We need a modern people's lobby that empowers all of us to choose our leaders and set our agenda. Imagine voting for a president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/we-need-a-modern-people-s-lobby-that-empowers-all-of-us-to-choose-our/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [When I entered the workforce, I was frustrated. When you're starting your career, somebody else is 'The Man' or 'The Woman.' They go into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/when-i-entered-the-workforce-i-was-frustrated-when-you-re-starting/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [I need to aspire to be a great CEO and not just a great product engineer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/i-need-to-aspire-to-be-a-great-ceo-and-not-just-a-great-product/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [I believe in the opportunities for social gaming. It's overlapping with mobile gaming and lots of video gaming, but it's still different. It's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/i-believe-in-the-opportunities-for-social-gaming-it-s-overlapping/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [The strength of your company is how wide a variety of people can be successful in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/the-strength-of-your-company-is-how-wide-a-variety-of-people-can-be/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [You are as good as your product. When you are used and loved by everyone, your brand equity is high. When you are not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/you-are-as-good-as-your-product-when-you-are-used-and-loved-by/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [My only agenda is, I would like to see mainstream America more empowered to set an agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/my-only-agenda-is-i-would-like-to-see-mainstream-america-more/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [It takes sometimes years in the market to get the tuning to the right place where your game is as compelling at level 100…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/it-takes-sometimes-years-in-the-market-to-get-the-tuning-to-the-right/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [I think you're defined as a company by what you choose to do and what you choose not to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/i-think-you-re-defined-as-a-company-by-what-you-choose-to-do-and-what/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [We can't wait until elections to fight for what we care about. We can't hope for a benevolent leader who may choose to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/we-can-t-wait-until-elections-to-fight-for-what-we-care-about-we-can/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [I got involved early on in social media - I created one of the first social networks - and for me, social gaming was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/i-got-involved-early-on-in-social-media-i-created-one-of-the-first/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [From the beginning... I wanted to build a company that could sustain not for two years or four years or even ten years but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/from-the-beginning-i-wanted-to-build-a-company-that-could-sustain-not/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [I think failing is the best way to keep you grounded, curious, and humble. Success is dangerous because often you don't understand why you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/i-think-failing-is-the-best-way-to-keep-you-grounded-curious-and/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [If you give people really big jobs to the point that they're scared, they have way more fun and they improve their game much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/if-you-give-people-really-big-jobs-to-the-point-that-they-re-scared/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) > [It's okay to be misunderstood - as long as you're not misunderstood by your consumers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/it-s-okay-to-be-misunderstood-as-long-as-you-re-not-misunderstood-by/) [Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) [Explore all 54 Mark Pincus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/) ## More Early quotes > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [I knew music was for me from an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-blue/i-knew-music-was-for-me-from-an-early-age/) [Jonas Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-blue/) > [I definitely count my blessings. I feel like I've had such a great ride. Early on, to be able to work with some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-definitely-count-my-blessings-i-feel-like-i-ve-had-such-a-great/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [I had been exposed to bitcoin early. I thought the consumer application of it felt, to me, further away. I thought there would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-garlinghouse/i-had-been-exposed-to-bitcoin-early-i-thought-the-consumer/) [Brad Garlinghouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-garlinghouse/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [With 'Aurangzeb,' I just knew that the film wasn't going to work, though I think it was one of my most underrated performances. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-kapoor/with-aurangzeb-i-just-knew-that-the-film-wasn-t-going-to-work-though/) [Arjun Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-kapoor/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The early days were really difficult because it was constant no's, I didn't have an agent. I always knew that I had something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madelyn-cline/the-early-days-were-really-difficult-because-it-was-constant-no-s-i/) [Madelyn Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madelyn-cline/) > [The latest I like to be to meeting is 15 minutes early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-latest-i-like-to-be-to-meeting-is-15-minutes-early/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [“Why'd she leave so early? It's practically yesterday.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/why-d-she-leave-so-early-it-s-practically-yesterday/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [The game business arose from computer programs that were written by and for young men in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-laurel/the-game-business-arose-from-computer-programs-that-were-written-by/) [Brenda Laurel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-laurel/) > [For years, I had a top secret clearance and never left Russia. Just once did I go to Bulgaria with my wife for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/for-years-i-had-a-top-secret-clearance-and-never-left-russia-just/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/) [George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/) > [Kids in the entertainment industry are at a risk of developing depression, as they see glamour at an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divyanka-tripathi/kids-in-the-entertainment-industry-are-at-a-risk-of-developing/) [Divyanka Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divyanka-tripathi/) Browse all 3,940 Early quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In my early career, there were more negative lessons than positive ones. But I don't think I was looking for the positives enough.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Pincus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negative-lessons-than-positive/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Early" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negative-lessons-than-positive/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/mark-pincus-12486_early_in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negat_1292087.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/mark-pincus-12486_early_in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negat_1292087.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/mark-pincus-12486_early_in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negat_1292087.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In my early career, there were more negative lessons than positive ones. But I don't think I was looking for…” — Mark Pincus", "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": "Mark Pincus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In my early career, there were...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negative-lessons-than-positive/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/in-my-early-career-there-were-more-negative-lessons-than-positive/#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 } } ] } ```