---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all make mistakes, Steele. It’s what…"
description: "\"We all make mistakes, Steele. It’s what we do afterward that defines us more than the actual incident that led to the mistake. (Joe)\" — Sherrilyn Kenyon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_failure_we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we_163815.jpg"
---

#  We all make mistakes, Steele. It’s what we do afterward…

![“We all make mistakes, Steele. It’s what we do afterward that defines us more than the actual incident that led to the mistake. (Joe)” quote by Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_failure_we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we_163815.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_failure_we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we_163815.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_failure_we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we_163815.jpg)

> “We all make mistakes, Steele. It’s what we do afterward that defines us more than the actual incident that led to the mistake. (Joe)”

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

## About This Quote

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

Mistakes happen; our response afterward shapes our character more than the error itself.

**In simple terms:** Our actions after a mistake define us.

Key Takeaway

Own and learn from errors.

Themes

growth responsibility character

Mood

reflective determined

Type

advice motivational

When to use this quote

- personal setbacks
- workplace errors
- relationships
- public apologies

Key Concepts

self‑reflection accountability resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you respond when you fail?
- What can you learn from a recent mistake?

A Different Perspective

Recovery can be hindered by denial or blame shifting.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Making mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-mistakes/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/)

## Related quotes

> [We are all #humans and we all make #mistakes. We #hurt people even if we don't want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/we-are-all-humans-and-we-all-make-mistakes-we-hurt-people-even-if-we/)

[Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/)

> [It's okay to learn from every experience, and it's okay to make mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/it-s-okay-to-learn-from-every-experience-and-it-s-okay-to-make/)

[Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/)

> [Heaven knows, we all make mistakes. That's life - and chess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/heaven-knows-we-all-make-mistakes-that-s-life-and-chess/)

[Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/)

> [We all make mistakes, probably the man most often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-marini/we-all-make-mistakes-probably-the-man-most-often/)

[Gilles Marini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilles-marini/)

> [We all make mistakes, but intelligence enables us to do it on purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cuppy/we-all-make-mistakes-but-intelligence-enables-us-to-do-it-on-purpose/)

[Will Cuppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cuppy/)

> [We all make mistakes, but the people who thrive from their mistakes are the successful ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/we-all-make-mistakes-but-the-people-who-thrive-from-their-mistakes/)

[Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/)

> [We all make mistakes. Luckily for us, there are very few mistakes that cant be solved with a suitable application of either lipstick or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-make-mistakes-luckily-for-us-there-are-very-few-mistakes-that/)

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

> [We all make mistakes, and it's not until we make mistakes that we learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-hemsworth/we-all-make-mistakes-and-it-s-not-until-we-make-mistakes-that-we-learn/)

[Liam Hemsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-hemsworth/)

> [We all make mistakes, don't we? But if you can't forgive yourself, you'll always be an exile in your own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/we-all-make-mistakes-don-t-we-but-if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-you/)

[Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/)

> [We all make mistakes. Sometimes I think the only point of our miserable lives is simply to learn how to live with the consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/we-all-make-mistakes-sometimes-i-think-the-only-point-of-our/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [Don’t worry, we’re not letting her out of our sight…and after the Nick incident, we’re not letting her out from behind this bar. (Aimee)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/don-t-worry-we-re-not-letting-her-out-of-our-sight-and-after-the-nick/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“We all make mistakes. It’s part of growing. The trick isn’t to be perfect. It’s to find a place of solace in the mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/we-all-make-mistakes-it-s-part-of-growing-the-trick-isn-t-to-be/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [It's easy to make mistakes. It's living with the consequences of them that's the hardest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/it-s-easy-to-make-mistakes-it-s-living-with-the-consequences-of-them/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [There’s a bit of hidden magic in every mistake. The magic is called learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/there-s-a-bit-of-hidden-magic-in-every-mistake-the-magic-is-called/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/)

[Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/)

## More by Sherrilyn Kenyon

> [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [I just can’t, Nick, okay? Now, please give me a second to lie here in silence and bleed.” – Caleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-just-can-t-nick-okay-now-please-give-me-a-second-to-lie-here-in/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“You are my life.” -Maris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-are-my-life-maris/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [It's easy to make mistakes. It's living with the consequences of them that's the hardest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/it-s-easy-to-make-mistakes-it-s-living-with-the-consequences-of-them/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“I don't know," Valerius said. " I hear some godawful kind of music from outside, horns blaring, and I'm in a house with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-don-t-know-valerius-said-i-hear-some-godawful-kind-of-music-from/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [Got to say, dying would really wreck my best day. Been there, done that, and now that I think about it, Artemis forgot to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/got-to-say-dying-would-really-wreck-my-best-day-been-there-done-that/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“Careful, human,” Hauk warned, showing Darling his fangs. “I might get hungry one of these nights and decide we no longer need a weaptech.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/careful-human-hauk-warned-showing-darling-his-fangs-i-might-get/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“Be that as it may, we do need you in particular to complete this assignment. (Syd) What is it with you government assholes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/be-that-as-it-may-we-do-need-you-in-particular-to-complete-this/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [The only way to have eternal love is to never let your heart forget what it’s like to live without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/the-only-way-to-have-eternal-love-is-to-never-let-your-heart-forget/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“I'm only one kill away from Command Assassin. Be a damn shame for that kill to be you" (Darion)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-m-only-one-kill-away-from-command-assassin-be-a-damn-shame-for-that/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [I’m getting all warm and fuzzy inside at the prospect of these demon things roaming the street, preying on us. (Tate)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-m-getting-all-warm-and-fuzzy-inside-at-the-prospect-of-these-demon/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“Then Olympus it is. But do try to behave. I know it’s hard for you, but… (Delphine) I won’t piss on the floor. (Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [Funny how internal scars never healed. They were the souvenirs of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/funny-how-internal-scars-never-healed-they-were-the-souvenirs-of-the/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“Hear me Isis as I pray. See her pain and take it all away. Let the heaven's light shine bright from above. And wrap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/hear-me-isis-as-i-pray-see-her-pain-and-take-it-all-away-let-the/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

[Explore all 3,050 Sherrilyn Kenyon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

## 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": "We all make mistakes, Steele. It’s what we do afterward that defines us more than the actual incident that led to the mistake. (Joe)",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sherrilyn Kenyon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we-do-afterward-that-defines-us/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Failure"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we-do-afterward-that-defines-us/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_failure_we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we_163815.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_failure_we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we_163815.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_failure_we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we_163815.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We all make mistakes, Steele. It’s what we do afterward that defines us more than the actual incident that…” — Sherrilyn Kenyon",
                "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": "Sherrilyn Kenyon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We all make mistakes, Steele. It’s...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we-do-afterward-that-defines-us/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/we-all-make-mistakes-steele-it-s-what-we-do-afterward-that-defines-us/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
