--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd rather learn how to prevent failure…" description: "\"I'd rather learn how to prevent failure than how to gain success, because for what is success other than a state of mind?\" — Og Mandino" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/og-mandino-1262_failure_i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure_2640033.jpg" --- # I'd rather learn how to prevent failure than how to gain… ![“I'd rather learn how to prevent failure than how to gain success, because for what is success other than a state of mind?” quote by Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/og-mandino-1262_failure_i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure_2640033.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/og-mandino-1262_failure_i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure_2640033.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/og-mandino-1262_failure_i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure_2640033.jpg) > “I'd rather learn how to prevent failure than how to gain success, because for what is success other than a state of mind?” [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Preventing failure by mindset is more vital than chasing success, which is also a mental state. **In simple terms:** Mindset prevents failure; success is mental. Key Takeaway Cultivate a resilient mindset. Themes mindset failure success Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - entrepreneurship - sports performance Key Concepts Psychology self‑improvement goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What mental habits guard against failure? - How do you define success beyond outcomes? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on success can ignore practical preparation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Gain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-gain-239175/) [Gain Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gain-success-847590/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Learn Prevent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-prevent-2261475/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Prevent Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prevent-failure-2261473/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [State of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-of-mind/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-state-2261474/) ## Related quotes > [Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/success-is-a-state-of-mind-if-you-want-success-start-thinking-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For me, success is a state of mind. I feel like success isn’t about conquering something, it’s being happy with who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britney-spears/for-me-success-is-a-state-of-mind-i-feel-like-success-isn-t-about/) [Britney Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britney-spears/) > [“The point here is not that you should always forgo this kind of weakness fixing. The point is that you should see it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-clifton/the-point-here-is-not-that-you-should-always-forgo-this-kind-of/) [Donald O. Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-clifton/) > [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/) > [Dont let negative circumstances deter you from your goal.Learn from failure to gain experiences.Surround yourself with people who will lift you & shows the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/dont-let-negative-circumstances-deter-you-from-your-goal-learn-from/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Forget your past failure and gain wisdom from the lesson you got from failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/forget-your-past-failure-and-gain-wisdom-from-the-lesson-you-got-from/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [Success is a state of mind, waiting for action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jones/success-is-a-state-of-mind-waiting-for-action/) [Jon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jones/) > [My favorite definition of success is that it is a state of mind combined with a state of readiness. You can have one and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-warner/my-favorite-definition-of-success-is-that-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Carolyn Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-warner/) > [The third element of success is your state: You must replace a default state of pessimism or anger with one of determination, of will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-third-element-of-success-is-your-state-you-must-replace-a-default/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in day out Success is the not the thing we will find in a day.It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aamir-sarfraz-aamir-rajput-khan/success-is-the-sum-of-small-efforts-repeated-day-in-day-out-success/) [Aamir Sarfraz (aamir rajput khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aamir-sarfraz-aamir-rajput-khan/) > [“His management philosophy, tempered in his rain-dancing days, was always to give the project to whoever had the most to gain from success--or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/his-management-philosophy-tempered-in-his-rain-dancing-days-was/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [Many people, not just Asians, are more concerned with hustling and getting to meetings with contacts to gain success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-yeun/many-people-not-just-asians-are-more-concerned-with-hustling-and/) [Steven Yeun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-yeun/) > [The men who have done big things are those who were not afraid to attempt big things, who were not afraid to risk failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/the-men-who-have-done-big-things-are-those-who-were-not-afraid-to/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [Any fear is an illusion. You think something is standing in your way, but nothing is really there. What is there is an opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/any-fear-is-an-illusion-you-think-something-is-standing-in-your-way/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [“It is important to fail in order to gain success. Even one needs to bend a little when about to jump high”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laksh-kishore/it-is-important-to-fail-in-order-to-gain-success-even-one-needs-to/) [Laksh Kishore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laksh-kishore/) ## More by Og Mandino > [Don't let your success of today lay you into complacency for tomorrow. For that is the worst form of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/don-t-let-your-success-of-today-lay-you-into-complacency-for-tomorrow/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/search-for-the-seed-of-good-in-every-adversity-master-that-principle/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-love-the-light-for-it-shows-me-the-way-yet-i-will-endure-the/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Never settle for the crumbs of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/never-settle-for-the-crumbs-of-life/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [The smallest task, well done, becomes a miracle of achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/the-smallest-task-well-done-becomes-a-miracle-of-achievement/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Laugh at yourself for man is most comical when he takes himself too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/laugh-at-yourself-for-man-is-most-comical-when-he-takes-himself-too/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Obstacles are necessary for success because in selling, as in all careers of importance, victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/obstacles-are-necessary-for-success-because-in-selling-as-in-all/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I will persist. I will always take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-persist-i-will-always-take-another-step-if-that-is-of-no-avail/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Do the very best that you can, in the things you do best, and you will know in thy soul, that you are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/do-the-very-best-that-you-can-in-the-things-you-do-best-and-you-will/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I am indeed a fortunate man and today's hours are but a bonus, undeserved. Why have I been allowed to live this extra day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-am-indeed-a-fortunate-man-and-today-s-hours-are-but-a-bonus/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [The person who knows one thing and does it better than anyone else, even if it only be the art of raising lentils, receives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/the-person-who-knows-one-thing-and-does-it-better-than-anyone-else/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/always-do-your-best-what-you-plant-now-you-will-harvest-later/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I will live this day as if it is my last. …I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday’s misfortunes, Yesterday’s defeats, yesterday’s aches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-live-this-day-as-if-it-is-my-last-i-will-waste-not-a-moment/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [To do anything truly worth doing, I must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in with gusto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/to-do-anything-truly-worth-doing-i-must-not-stand-back-shivering-and/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [What is past is past. You can do nothing about yesterday and last month and the failures of last year, but you can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/what-is-past-is-past-you-can-do-nothing-about-yesterday-and-last/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) [Explore all 256 Og Mandino quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. 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": "I'd rather learn how to prevent failure than how to gain success, because for what is success other than a state of mind?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Og Mandino" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure-than-how-to-gain-success/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure-than-how-to-gain-success/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/og-mandino-1262_failure_i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure_2640033.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/og-mandino-1262_failure_i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure_2640033.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/og-mandino-1262_failure_i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure_2640033.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd rather learn how to prevent failure than how to gain success, because for what is success other than a…” — Og Mandino", "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": "Og Mandino", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd rather learn how to prevent...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure-than-how-to-gain-success/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-d-rather-learn-how-to-prevent-failure-than-how-to-gain-success/#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 } } ] } ```