---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only those who have the courage to fail…"
description: "\"Only those who have the courage to fail greatly achieve greatly.\" — Robert Kennedy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/robert-kennedy-2083_achieve_only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail_699300.jpg"
---

#  Only those who have the courage to fail greatly achieve…

![“Only those who have the courage to fail greatly achieve greatly.” quote by Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/robert-kennedy-2083_achieve_only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail_699300.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/robert-kennedy-2083_achieve_only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail_699300.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/robert-kennedy-2083_achieve_only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail_699300.jpg)

> “Only those who have the courage to fail greatly achieve greatly.”

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Great achievements require boldness to risk failure; without risk, greatness is unattainable.

**In simple terms:** Courage to fail leads to great success.

Key Takeaway

Embrace risk for growth.

Themes

courage risk achievement

Mood

inspirational hopeful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- entrepreneurship
- academic pursuits
- personal challenges

Key Concepts

psychology leadership innovation

Questions to Reflect On

- What failure could you pursue?
- How does fear limit your potential?

A Different Perspective

Fear of failure can paralyze action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Achieve Greatly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve-greatly-2544387/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-fail-1480349/) [Fail Greatly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-greatly-1982893/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Greatly Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatly-achieve-3068141/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

## Related quotes

> [Only those who dare to fail greatly can achieve greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-those-who-dare-to-fail-greatly-can-achieve-greatly/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-those-who-dare-to-fail-greatly-can-ever-achieve-greatly/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Acting is really about having the courage to fail in front of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/acting-is-really-about-having-the-courage-to-fail-in-front-of-people/)

[Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/)

> [Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/those-who-dare-to-fail-miserably-can-achieve-greatly/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [Self-mastery, self-control, self-discipline are essential for anyone who wants to achieve greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/self-mastery-self-control-self-discipline-are-essential-for-anyone/)

[Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/)

> [Fail miserably, achieve greatly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/fail-miserably-achieve-greatly/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [“We’ve all heard the usual examples: Michael Jordan cut from his high school basketball team, Walt Disney fired by a newspaper editor for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-achor/we-ve-all-heard-the-usual-examples-michael-jordan-cut-from-his-high/)

[Shawn Achor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-achor/)

> [Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever archive greatly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/only-those-who-dare-to-fail-greatly-can-ever-archive-greatly/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success. Only those who dare to fail greatly can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/failure-is-only-a-temporary-change-in-direction-to-set-you-straight/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In order to succeed greatly, you have to be prepared to fail greatly. If you can't do both of them, you've got a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/in-order-to-succeed-greatly-you-have-to-be-prepared-to-fail-greatly/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [How can one not succumb and allow one's courage to fail when everything is shut tight, when all meaningful things are walled up, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-schulz/how-can-one-not-succumb-and-allow-one-s-courage-to-fail-when/)

[Bruno Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-schulz/)

> [Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-tyler-moore/take-chances-make-mistakes-that-s-how-you-grow-pain-nourishes-your/)

[Mary Tyler Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-tyler-moore/)

> [Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again. This time more intelligently. Don't be afraid to fail because only through failure do you learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kriszel-ong/failure-is-simply-the-opportunity-to-begin-again-this-time-more-2/)

[Kriszel Ong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kriszel-ong/)

> [Take chances, make mistakes. Thats how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-tyler-moore/take-chances-make-mistakes-thats-how-you-grow-pain-nourishes-your/)

[Mary Tyler Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-tyler-moore/)

> [You want to be really great? Then have the courage to fail big and stick around. Make them wonder why you're still smiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/you-want-to-be-really-great-then-have-the-courage-to-fail-big-and/)

[Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/)

## More by Robert Kennedy

> [Wars of any magnitude release powerful social and economic forces which can change the whole face of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/wars-of-any-magnitude-release-powerful-social-and-economic-forces/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [If freedom makes social progress possible, so social progress strengthens and enlarges freedom. The two are inseparable partners in the great adventure of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/if-freedom-makes-social-progress-possible-so-social-progress/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [Goethe tells us in his greatest poem that Faust lost the liberty of his soul when he said to the passing moment, 'Stay, thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/goethe-tells-us-in-his-greatest-poem-that-faust-lost-the-liberty-of/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [The intolerant man will not rely on persuasion, or on the worth of the idea. He would deny to others the very freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-intolerant-man-will-not-rely-on-persuasion-or-on-the-worth-of-the/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/let-us-dedicate-ourselves-to-what-the-greeks-wrote-so-many-years-ago/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [President Kennedy's election was such an enlargement. It expanded religious freedom to include the highest office in the land. President Kennedy's administration was such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/president-kennedy-s-election-was-such-an-enlargement-it-expanded/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [Men and women with freed minds may often be mistaken, but they are seldom fooled. They may be influenced, but they cannot be intimidated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/men-and-women-with-freed-minds-may-often-be-mistaken-but-they-are/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [Prejudice exists and probably will continue to 'but we have tried to make progress and we are making progress. We are not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/prejudice-exists-and-probably-will-continue-to-but-we-have-tried-to/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/too-much-and-too-long-we-seem-to-have-surrendered-community/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [In the final analysis, poverty is a condition of helplessness - of inability to cope with the conditions of existence in our complex society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/in-the-final-analysis-poverty-is-a-condition-of-helplessness-of/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [We know that we cannot live together without rules which tell us what is right and what is wrong, what is permitted and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/we-know-that-we-cannot-live-together-without-rules-which-tell-us-what/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [Punishment is not prevention. History offers cold comfort to those who think grievance and despair can be subdued by force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/punishment-is-not-prevention-history-offers-cold-comfort-to-those-who/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [The travail of freedom and justice is not easy, but nothing serious and important in life is easy. The history of humanity has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-travail-of-freedom-and-justice-is-not-easy-but-nothing-serious/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [The Gross National Product measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-gross-national-product-measures-neither-our-wit-nor-our-courage/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control. It is the shaping impulse of America that neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/our-future-may-lie-beyond-our-vision-but-it-is-not-completely-beyond/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

[Explore all 186 Robert Kennedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

## More Achieve quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [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/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

[Deon Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-taylor/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

[Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/)

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

[Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Only those who have the courage to fail greatly achieve greatly.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Kennedy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail-greatly-achieve-greatly/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail-greatly-achieve-greatly/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/robert-kennedy-2083_achieve_only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail_699300.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/robert-kennedy-2083_achieve_only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail_699300.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/robert-kennedy-2083_achieve_only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail_699300.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Only those who have the courage to fail greatly achieve greatly.” — Robert Kennedy",
                "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": "Robert Kennedy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Only those who have the courage...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail-greatly-achieve-greatly/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/only-those-who-have-the-courage-to-fail-greatly-achieve-greatly/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```