--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had to pick one quality that best…" description: "\"If I had to pick one quality that best predicts success (other than wanting to be successful) it would be the willingness to risk embarrassment.\" — Sco..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/scott-adams-666_being-successful_if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-p_420479.jpg" --- # If I had to pick one quality that best predicts success… ![“If I had to pick one quality that best predicts success (other than wanting to be successful) it would be the willingness to risk embarrassment.” quote by Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/scott-adams-666_being-successful_if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-p_420479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/scott-adams-666_being-successful_if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-p_420479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/scott-adams-666_being-successful_if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-p_420479.jpg) > “If I had to pick one quality that best predicts success (other than wanting to be successful) it would be the willingness to risk embarrassment.” [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Willingness to risk embarrassment fuels learning and resilience, making success more likely than mere ambition. **In simple terms:** Risking embarrassment builds resilience and leads to success. Key Takeaway Embrace discomfort to grow. Themes success risk embarrassment growth Mood motivational practical Type inspirational self‑help When to use this quote - public speaking - networking - creative projects Key Concepts psychology of failure risk tolerance learning mindset Questions to Reflect On - What embarrassment have you avoided that could help you? - How can you reframe fear of embarrassment? A Different Perspective Embarrassment can damage confidence if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Embarrassment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarrassment/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [We need to be willing to risk embarrassment, ask silly questions, surround ourselves with people who don't know what we're talking about. We need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/we-need-to-be-willing-to-risk-embarrassment-ask-silly-questions/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [I learned myself out. There's no fear in my heart towards wanting to be successful & take chances in life, but I'm soft hearted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reilly-jackson/i-learned-myself-out-there-s-no-fear-in-my-heart-towards-wanting-to/) Reilly Jackson > [“Failures or successes are not as important as the willingness to risk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-webb/failures-or-successes-are-not-as-important-as-the-willingness-to-risk/) Darryl Webb > [What is courage? Courage is the willingness to risk failure...There is only one danger I find in life, and that, indeed, is a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-adler/what-is-courage-courage-is-the-willingness-to-risk-failure-there-is/) [Alfred Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-adler/) > [If I'm not free to fail, I'm not free to take risks and everything in life that's worth doing involves a willingness to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/if-i-m-not-free-to-fail-i-m-not-free-to-take-risks-and-everything-in/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Faith is the willingness to risk anything on God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hyles/faith-is-the-willingness-to-risk-anything-on-god/) [Jack Hyles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hyles/) > [The willingness to take risk is largely a function of wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-conard/the-willingness-to-take-risk-is-largely-a-function-of-wealth/) [Edward Conard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-conard/) > [I think if you were to really peek under the hood of what got Aerosmith back again for our second life in the Eighties,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-think-if-you-were-to-really-peek-under-the-hood-of-what-got/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) > [The most striking thing about highly effective leaders is how little they have in common. 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Everyone has that awkward or embarrassing moment they wish they could take back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayden-hayes/having-no-regrets-is-very-unrealistic-everyone-has-that-awkward-or/) [Jayden Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayden-hayes/) ## More by Scott Adams > [The creator of the universe works in mysterious ways. 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There are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-hull/also-it-s-not-the-mathematical-skill-that-s-critical-to-winning-it-s/) Blair Hull [Browse all 1,002 Being successful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I had to pick one quality that best predicts success (other than wanting to be successful) it would be the willingness to risk embarrassment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-predicts-success-other-than/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being successful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-predicts-success-other-than/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/scott-adams-666_being-successful_if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-p_420479.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/scott-adams-666_being-successful_if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-p_420479.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/scott-adams-666_being-successful_if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-p_420479.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I had to pick one quality that best predicts success (other than wanting to be successful) it would be…” — Scott Adams", "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": "Scott Adams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I had to pick one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-predicts-success-other-than/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-i-had-to-pick-one-quality-that-best-predicts-success-other-than/#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 } } ] } ```