--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing we are sure to fail is…" description: "\"The only thing we are sure to fail is that which we do not attempt\" — Paul-Emile Victor" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/paul-emile-victor-86518_attempt_the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-th_716492.png" --- # The only thing we are sure to fail is that which we do not… ![“The only thing we are sure to fail is that which we do not attempt” quote by Paul-Emile Victor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/paul-emile-victor-86518_attempt_the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-th_716492.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/paul-emile-victor-86518_attempt_the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-th_716492.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/paul-emile-victor-86518_attempt_the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-th_716492.png) > “The only thing we are sure to fail is that which we do not attempt” [Paul-Emile Victor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-emile-victor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Attempting is essential; failure only occurs when we never try. **In simple terms:** Try or you will fail. Key Takeaway Take risks and act. Themes risk effort failure Mood determined inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - creative endeavors - scientific research Key Concepts courage initiative Questions to Reflect On - What prevents you from trying? - How do you handle possible failure? A Different Perspective Success is not guaranteed even with effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attempt/) [Coaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaching/) [Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) [Fail Attempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-attempt-2479070/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Sure Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-fail-1095953/) [Thing Sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-sure-308182/) ## Related quotes > [I would rather attempt something and fail than attempt nothing and succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prodigy/i-would-rather-attempt-something-and-fail-than-attempt-nothing-and/) [Prodigy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prodigy/) > [I tell ye wut, my judgment is you're pooty sure to fail, Ez long 'z the head keeps turnin' back for counsel to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/i-tell-ye-wut-my-judgment-is-you-re-pooty-sure-to-fail-ez-long-z-the/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [FAIL= First Attempt In Learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skuta/fail-first-attempt-in-learning/) [Skuta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skuta/) > [Only the impossible is worth attempting. In everything else one is sure to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-green/only-the-impossible-is-worth-attempting-in-everything-else-one-is/) [Celia Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-green/) > [A failure to actis an action thats sure to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-failure-to-actis-an-action-thats-sure-to-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think it's better to attempt something and fail than it is to not even attempt it, so I'm glad that I've been prepared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-thorpe/i-think-it-s-better-to-attempt-something-and-fail-than-it-is-to-not/) [Ian Thorpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-thorpe/) > [I would rather fail in an attempt at something new and uncharted than safely succeed in a repeat of something I have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ae-hotchner/i-would-rather-fail-in-an-attempt-at-something-new-and-uncharted-than/) [AE Hotchner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ae-hotchner/) > [Its always better to attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirgha/its-always-better-to-attempt-to-do-something-great-and-fail-than-to/) [Dirgha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirgha/) > [I'd rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-schuller/i-d-rather-attempt-to-do-something-great-and-fail-than-to-attempt-to/) [Robert H. Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-schuller/) > [How many things would you attempt... If you knew you could not fail...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/how-many-things-would-you-attempt-if-you-knew-you-could-not-fail/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [“Never give up your right to be wrong, and be sure to give others that right too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/never-give-up-your-right-to-be-wrong-and-be-sure-to-give-others-that/) [Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/) > [“Kill the fears before they endorse your failures. When you attempt to stop the terrorist at the time he's at work, you are too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/kill-the-fears-before-they-endorse-your-failures-when-you-attempt-to/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Don't live your life like an attempt, because if you fail there is no second attempt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-live-your-life-like-an-attempt-because-if-you-fail-there-is-no/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Cling to your insecurity, in this world, it's the only thing you can be sure of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/cling-to-your-insecurity-in-this-world-it-s-the-only-thing-you-can-be/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [There's no such thing as a sure thing. That's why they call it gambling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-sure-thing-that-s-why-they-call-it-gambling/) [Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/) ## More by Paul-Emile Victor > [The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes. The only adventure that is doomed from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-emile-victor/the-real-act-of-discovery-consists-not-in-finding-new-lands-but-in/) [Paul-Emile Victor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-emile-victor/) > [The world needs water. For every bottle of wine you drink you contribute to conserving the drinking water reserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-emile-victor/the-world-needs-water-for-every-bottle-of-wine-you-drink-you/) [Paul-Emile Victor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-emile-victor/) [Explore all 3 Paul-Emile Victor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-emile-victor/) ## More Attempt quotes > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [I'm not technically proficient enough to attempt all kinds of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/i-m-not-technically-proficient-enough-to-attempt-all-kinds-of-music/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [Realizing that they can't get their agenda across: against religious liberty, against a culture of life, they can't get those issues across through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-parsley/realizing-that-they-can-t-get-their-agenda-across-against-religious/) [Rod Parsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-parsley/) > [It is sometimes a mistake to climb. It is always a mistake never even to make the attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-sometimes-a-mistake-to-climb-it-is-always-a-mistake-never-even/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I will never attempt to even begin to make excuses for what I did in football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-storey/i-will-never-attempt-to-even-begin-to-make-excuses-for-what-i-did-in/) [Peter Storey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-storey/) > [“We all perish in our last attempt to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/we-all-perish-in-our-last-attempt-to-live/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [There was an attempt on my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jovenel-moise/there-was-an-attempt-on-my-life/) [Jovenel Moise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jovenel-moise/) > [The publishing of a book is a worldwide event. The attempt to suppress a book is a worldwide event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-publishing-of-a-book-is-a-worldwide-event-the-attempt-to-suppress/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Advocacy groups in the USA, as in other countries, may not be able to silence this hateful, cowardly and deceitful attack upon people’s humanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/advocacy-groups-in-the-usa-as-in-other-countries-may-not-be-able-to/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [There are many things that seem impossible only so long as one does not attempt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/there-are-many-things-that-seem-impossible-only-so-long-as-one-does/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [For purposes of marketing, writers are designated as poets, novelists, or something else. But writing is about matchmaking, an attempt to marry sensations with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/for-purposes-of-marketing-writers-are-designated-as-poets-novelists/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [It's my first sort of commercial attempt, but it made sense for me because I'm not that kind of guy and I'm not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/it-s-my-first-sort-of-commercial-attempt-but-it-made-sense-for-me/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [In all civilizations we've studied, all cultures that we know of across the Earth and across time have invested some kind of attempt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-all-civilizations-we-ve-studied-all-cultures-that-we-know-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [It is sometimes a mistake to climb. It is always a mistake to never make the attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-is-sometimes-a-mistake-to-climb-it-is-always-a-mistake-to-never/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [My explanation remains the same: It was an attempt to make the point that anyone who opposed the war can achieve their objective by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-moran/my-explanation-remains-the-same-it-was-an-attempt-to-make-the-point/) [James P. Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-moran/) [Browse all 516 Attempt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attempt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only thing we are sure to fail is that which we do not attempt", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul-Emile Victor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-emile-victor/the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-that-which-we-do-not-attempt/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attempt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-emile-victor/the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-that-which-we-do-not-attempt/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/paul-emile-victor-86518_attempt_the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-th_716492.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/paul-emile-victor-86518_attempt_the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-th_716492.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/paul-emile-victor-86518_attempt_the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-th_716492.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only thing we are sure to fail is that which we do not attempt” — Paul-Emile Victor", "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": "Paul-Emile Victor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-emile-victor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only thing we are sure...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-emile-victor/the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-that-which-we-do-not-attempt/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-emile-victor/the-only-thing-we-are-sure-to-fail-is-that-which-we-do-not-attempt/#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 } } ] } ```