--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Travel is about failure or overcoming…" description: "\"Travel is about failure or overcoming obstacles, overcoming failures. When a traveler is having lots of good luck, that is not a happy book. That's a b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/paul-theroux-913_book_travel-is-about-failure-or-overcoming-ob_2264715.jpg" --- # Travel is about failure or overcoming obstacles… ![“Travel is about failure or overcoming obstacles, overcoming failures. When a traveler is having lots of good luck, that is not a happy book. That's a book you say, well, I don't need that. I want a life lesson. I want to find out - I want a journey that reflects my life.” quote by Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/paul-theroux-913_book_travel-is-about-failure-or-overcoming-ob_2264715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/paul-theroux-913_book_travel-is-about-failure-or-overcoming-ob_2264715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/paul-theroux-913_book_travel-is-about-failure-or-overcoming-ob_2264715.jpg) > “Travel is about failure or overcoming obstacles, overcoming failures. When a traveler is having lots of good luck, that is not a happy book. That's a book you say, well, I don't need that. I want a life lesson. I want to find out - I want a journey that reflects my life.” [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Travel is valuable when it involves overcoming challenges, not just smooth sailing; true lessons come from hardship. **In simple terms:** Travel teaches through difficulty, not easy luck. Key Takeaway Seek growth through overcoming obstacles. Themes adventure resilience learning life lessons Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - backpacking trips - career changes - personal crises Key Concepts existential growth narrative purpose risk taking Questions to Reflect On - What obstacles have taught you most? - How do you balance risk and reward? A Different Perspective Overcoming obstacles can be painful and risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Life lesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lesson/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Obstacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstacles/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Overcoming failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming-failure/) [Overcoming obstacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming-obstacles/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Traveler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traveler/) ## Related quotes > [“A bird that fears falling off of a tree branch is ignorant of its gifts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-bird-that-fears-falling-off-of-a-tree-branch-is-ignorant-of-its/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [A travel book is a book that puts you in the shoes of the traveler, and it's usually a book about having a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/a-travel-book-is-a-book-that-puts-you-in-the-shoes-of-the-traveler-2/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [Now and then in travel, something unexpected happens that transforms the whole nature of the trip and stays with the traveler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/now-and-then-in-travel-something-unexpected-happens-that-transforms/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [Mark Twain was a great traveler and he wrote three or four great travel books. I wouldn't say that I'm a travel novelist but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/mark-twain-was-a-great-traveler-and-he-wrote-three-or-four-great/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [It is fatal to know too much at the outcome: boredom comes as quickly to the traveler who knows his route as to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/it-is-fatal-to-know-too-much-at-the-outcome-boredom-comes-as-quickly-2/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [A travel book is a book that puts you in the shoes of the traveler, and it's usually a book about having a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/a-travel-book-is-a-book-that-puts-you-in-the-shoes-of-the-traveler/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [The traveler's boast, sometimes couched as a complaint, is that of having been an eyewitness, and invariably this experience - shocking though it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-traveler-s-boast-sometimes-couched-as-a-complaint-is-that-of/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [A national crisis, a political convulsion, is an opportunity, a gift to the traveler. 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The fearful are the failing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-josepha-hale/there-is-no-impossibility-to-him-who-stands-prepared-to-conquer-every/) [Sarah Josepha Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-josepha-hale/) > [Half of the failures in life come from pulling one's horse when he is leaping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hood/half-of-the-failures-in-life-come-from-pulling-one-s-horse-when-he-is/) [Thomas Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hood/) > [One who fears failure limits his activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/one-who-fears-failure-limits-his-activities/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Failure seems to be nature's plan for preparing us for great responsibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/failure-seems-to-be-nature-s-plan-for-preparing-us-for-great/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) ## More by Paul Theroux > [I feel as if my mission is to write, to see, to observe, and I feel lazy if I'm not reaching conclusions. 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I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. 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