Humor Quote by Samuel Clemmons
““He well knew the futility of trying to contend against witches, so he gave up discouraged. But it occurred to him that he might as well have the marble he had just thrown away, and therefore he went and made a patient search for it. But he could not find it. Now he went back to his treasure-house and carefully placed himself just as he had been standing when he tossed the marble away; then he took another marble from his pocket and tossed it in the same way, saying: "Brother, go find your brother!" He watched where it stopped, and went there and looked. But it must have fallen short or gone too far; so he tried twice more. The last repetition was successful. The two marbles lay within a foot of each other.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: Unknown folk tale
A frustrated search for a lost object becomes a patient, repetitive effort, ultimately succeeding after persistence.
In simple terms: Persistence and repeated attempts lead to success.
Key Takeaway
Keep trying, even after failure.
Themes
persistence
search
frustration
learning
patience
Mood
hopeful
reflective
Type
narrative
motivational
When to use this quote
- research
- craftsmanship
- personal goals
Key Concepts
problem solving
resilience
trial and error
Questions to Reflect On
- What can you learn from repeated attempts?
- When is persistence counterproductive?
A Different Perspective
Blind repetition may waste resources without reflection.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
