--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is only one kind of failure I…" description: "\"There is only one kind of failure I cannot tolerate: the failure to risk failure.\" — Richard Marcinko" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/richard-marcinko-29112_failure_there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cann_1243425.jpg" --- # There is only one kind of failure I cannot tolerate: the… ![“There is only one kind of failure I cannot tolerate: the failure to risk failure.” quote by Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/richard-marcinko-29112_failure_there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cann_1243425.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/richard-marcinko-29112_failure_there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cann_1243425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/richard-marcinko-29112_failure_there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cann_1243425.jpg) > “There is only one kind of failure I cannot tolerate: the failure to risk failure.” [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True failure is avoiding risk; embracing potential failure is the only intolerable loss. **In simple terms:** Avoid avoiding risk. Key Takeaway Take calculated risks. Themes risk failure courage growth Mood bold thoughtful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - career change - creative projects Key Concepts decision theory psychology of risk leadership Questions to Reflect On - What risk could you take now? - How do you assess acceptable risk? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to loss; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [“To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard of life is to risk nothing. The person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/to-try-is-to-risk-failure-but-risk-must-be-taken-because-the-greatest/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [You need to put the fear of risk aside. Startups need leaders who are willing to persevere through the hard times. Failure is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-huh/you-need-to-put-the-fear-of-risk-aside-startups-need-leaders-who-are/) [Ben Huh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-huh/) > [“OUR LIVES ARE MADE OF RISKS AND REWARDS. OUR ENDEAVOURS, LOVES, AND HOPES ARE ALL PRONE TO THE GREAT RISK OF FAILURE. YET TO…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-t-barnes/our-lives-are-made-of-risks-and-rewards-our-endeavours-loves-and/) [Mark T. Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-t-barnes/) > [It is our moral failure that we still tolerate poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ela-bhatt/it-is-our-moral-failure-that-we-still-tolerate-poverty/) [Ela Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ela-bhatt/) > [“We cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin chiefly because we are success-oriented, not because we know it is offensive to God. God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hunt/we-cannot-tolerate-failure-in-our-struggle-with-sin-chiefly-because/) Josh Hunt > [Without intellectual honesty, you can't have a culture that's willing to tolerate failure because people cling too much to an idea that likely will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/without-intellectual-honesty-you-can-t-have-a-culture-that-s-willing/) [Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/) > [I'm kind of a failure. I mean, I'll be honest. I'm successful in that I'm getting to work on great stuff, but I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/i-m-kind-of-a-failure-i-mean-i-ll-be-honest-i-m-successful-in-that-i/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I've always had to have some kind of failure before I was successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-o-brien/i-ve-always-had-to-have-some-kind-of-failure-before-i-was-successful/) [Dan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-o-brien/) > [Achievement must be made against the possibility of failure, against the risk of defeat. It is no achievement to walk a tightrope laid flat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kroc/achievement-must-be-made-against-the-possibility-of-failure-against/) [Ray Kroc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kroc/) > [Without exposure to potential failure, there is no risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/without-exposure-to-potential-failure-there-is-no-risk/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [The only risk of failure is promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-only-risk-of-failure-is-promotion/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [The risk of failure is part of the fun of what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/the-risk-of-failure-is-part-of-the-fun-of-what-i-do/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“The ability to overcome failure—to live through it and move on—is crucial. If we are not willing to face failure—if we don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/the-ability-to-overcome-failure-to-live-through-it-and-move-on-is/) [John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/) > [The hardest things to do in any art is to risk failure and put yourself out on the line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/the-hardest-things-to-do-in-any-art-is-to-risk-failure-and-put/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [The 'Amazing' can only be created by facing fear, risk and failure during the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brown/the-amazing-can-only-be-created-by-facing-fear-risk-and-failure/) [Joel Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brown/) ## More by Richard Marcinko > [“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-more-you-sweat-in-training-the-less-you-bleed-in-combat/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [For the past weeks I'd been reacting. That was no way to win. To win, you take the initiative. You instigate the action. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/for-the-past-weeks-i-d-been-reacting-that-was-no-way-to-win-to-win/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [When you fight, you don't fight for abstract values like the flag, or the nation, or democracy. You fight for your buddy. You fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/when-you-fight-you-don-t-fight-for-abstract-values-like-the-flag-or/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Have character, but don't be a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/have-character-but-don-t-be-a-character/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Pain was their body's way of telling them that they'd pushed themselves to their limits - which was exactly where they were supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/pain-was-their-body-s-way-of-telling-them-that-they-d-pushed/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Knives are like credit cards; don't leave home without 'em and always carry several](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/knives-are-like-credit-cards-don-t-leave-home-without-em-and-always/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [I don't follow the thought; "Winning is not important, playing the game is". If that is in fact true; then why do we keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/i-don-t-follow-the-thought-winning-is-not-important-playing-the-game/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [The combat of WAR and an economic WAR have a lot of similarities. You do have to be skilled, aggressive, know your enemy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-combat-of-war-and-an-economic-war-have-a-lot-of-similarities-you/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [I ask my children (all of them) to be what they want to be; just be the best they can at what they choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/i-ask-my-children-all-of-them-to-be-what-they-want-to-be-just-be-the/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [What drives me? In every mission I'm on, the thing that drives me most is the desire to find my limits-and extend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/what-drives-me-in-every-mission-i-m-on-the-thing-that-drives-me-most/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [The rules of war and business are the same. Victory and success are the same. In one it's life and/or death in the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-rules-of-war-and-business-are-the-same-victory-and-success-are/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Popularity is not leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/popularity-is-not-leadership/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [“The Navy’s caste system has the reputation of being about as rigid as any in the world. The first thing most Navy officer do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-navy-s-caste-system-has-the-reputation-of-being-about-as-rigid-as/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [The more thou sweateth in training, the less thou bleedeth in combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-more-thou-sweateth-in-training-the-less-thou-bleedeth-in-combat/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Shoot first and ask questions not at all](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/shoot-first-and-ask-questions-not-at-all/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) [Explore all 18 Richard Marcinko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) ## 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": "There is only one kind of failure I cannot tolerate: the failure to risk failure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Marcinko" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cannot-tolerate-the-failure-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cannot-tolerate-the-failure-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/richard-marcinko-29112_failure_there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cann_1243425.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/richard-marcinko-29112_failure_there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cann_1243425.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/richard-marcinko-29112_failure_there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cann_1243425.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is only one kind of failure I cannot tolerate: the failure to risk failure.” — Richard Marcinko", "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": "Richard Marcinko", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is only one kind of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cannot-tolerate-the-failure-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cannot-tolerate-the-failure-to/#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 } } ] } ```