--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is crucial is what you think when…" description: "\"“What is crucial is what you think when you fail, using the power of “non-negative thinking”\" — Seligman Martin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/seligman-martin-65410_failure_what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-y_75036.jpg" --- # What is crucial is what you think when you fail, using the… ![“What is crucial is what you think when you fail, using the power of “non-negative thinking” quote by Seligman Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/seligman-martin-65410_failure_what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-y_75036.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/seligman-martin-65410_failure_what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-y_75036.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/seligman-martin-65410_failure_what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-y_75036.jpg) > ““What is crucial is what you think when you fail, using the power of “non-negative thinking”” Seligman Martin ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes that the mindset after a setback determines growth; focusing on constructive thoughts harnesses resilience. **In simple terms:** Mindset after failure matters. Key Takeaway Resilience stems from positive interpretation of setbacks. Themes Resilience Mindset Growth Optimism Self-improvement Mood Determined Hopeful Reflective Type Motivational Philosophical When to use this quote - Recovering from a failed project - Dealing with personal disappointment - Navigating a career setback - Coping with academic rejection Key Concepts Cognitive reframing Emotional regulation Practical Applications - Coaching sessions to build mental toughness - Workshops on constructive self-talk Questions to Reflect On - How can you reframe a recent failure to extract learning? - What mental habits could you develop to respond better to setbacks? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Negative thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-thinking/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Never give up on something just because you think you might fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-lee-reed-jr/never-give-up-on-something-just-because-you-think-you-might-fail/) Jimmy Lee Reed Jr > [I think that it's crucial. I think that playing live, if you want to be an artist - that's what artists do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-forge/i-think-that-it-s-crucial-i-think-that-playing-live-if-you-want-to-be/) [Tobias Forge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-forge/) > [Doubt is crucial, I think, in every character I have ever played.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/doubt-is-crucial-i-think-in-every-character-i-have-ever-played/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [A backup plan means somewhere in my head, I think I might fail and that word is not in my vocabulary. Plus I'm too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malorie-blackman/a-backup-plan-means-somewhere-in-my-head-i-think-i-might-fail-and/) [Malorie Blackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malorie-blackman/) > [“Oh, and one thing. Please, please don’t depend on me too much. I mean that. I’m not going to be of much help. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/oh-and-one-thing-please-please-don-t-depend-on-me-too-much-i-mean/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [I'm very cautious to not be too observant, or too consumed with what works and what doesn't work, because I think that's when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-franklin/i-m-very-cautious-to-not-be-too-observant-or-too-consumed-with-what/) [Kirk Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-franklin/) > [The picture I was hoping for is never the picture I get, but yeah, I think they fail all the time. Fortunately my clients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-heisler/the-picture-i-was-hoping-for-is-never-the-picture-i-get-but-yeah-i/) [Gregory Heisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-heisler/) > [We must allow ourselves to think, we must dare to think, even though we fail. It is in the nature of things that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/we-must-allow-ourselves-to-think-we-must-dare-to-think-even-though-we/) [Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/) > [I think I fail a bit less than everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-think-i-fail-a-bit-less-than-everyone-else/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [“The trouble is, you think something is everything and fail to realize that everything is something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mcgahan/the-trouble-is-you-think-something-is-everything-and-fail-to-realize/) [Kate McGahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mcgahan/) > [Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/do-the-one-thing-you-think-you-cannot-do-fail-at-it-try-again-do/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I think once I fail enough as a dad, I'll be looking for help wherever I can get it. I just need enough time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/i-think-once-i-fail-enough-as-a-dad-i-ll-be-looking-for-help-wherever/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [“Fall makes me think that if I fail horribly at this art thing, and then fail horribly with this writing thing, I'll go run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hojberg/fall-makes-me-think-that-if-i-fail-horribly-at-this-art-thing-and/) [Tyler Hojberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hojberg/) > [“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/do-the-one-thing-you-think-you-cannot-do-fail-at-it-try-again-do-2/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [You cant be afraid to take a risk. You can't be afraid to take a risk because you think you might fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcmahon/you-cant-be-afraid-to-take-a-risk-you-can-t-be-afraid-to-take-a-risk/) [Linda McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcmahon/) ## More by Seligman Martin > [“Learning beforehand that responding matters actually prevents learned helplessness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/learning-beforehand-that-responding-matters-actually-prevents-learned/) Seligman Martin > [“But failure also can occur when talent and desire are present in abundance but optimism is missing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/but-failure-also-can-occur-when-talent-and-desire-are-present-in/) Seligman Martin > [“Our physical health is something over which we can have far greater personal control than we probably suspect”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/our-physical-health-is-something-over-which-we-can-have-far-greater/) Seligman Martin Explore all 4 Seligman Martin quotes ## 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": "“What is crucial is what you think when you fail, using the power of “non-negative thinking”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seligman Martin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-you-fail-using-the-power-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-you-fail-using-the-power-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/seligman-martin-65410_failure_what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-y_75036.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/seligman-martin-65410_failure_what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-y_75036.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/seligman-martin-65410_failure_what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-y_75036.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What is crucial is what you think when you fail, using the power of “non-negative thinking” — Seligman Martin", "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": "Seligman Martin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seligman-martin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What is crucial is what you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-you-fail-using-the-power-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/what-is-crucial-is-what-you-think-when-you-fail-using-the-power-of/#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 } } ] } ```