--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We try, and we try, and we fail; and then…" description: "\"We try, and we try, and we fail; and then we go deeper.\" — Shunryu Suzuki" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/shunryu-suzuki-1280_deeper_we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-w_3178418.png" --- # We try, and we try, and we fail; and then we go deeper. ![“We try, and we try, and we fail; and then we go deeper.” quote by Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/shunryu-suzuki-1280_deeper_we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-w_3178418.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/shunryu-suzuki-1280_deeper_we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-w_3178418.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/shunryu-suzuki-1280_deeper_we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-w_3178418.png) > “We try, and we try, and we fail; and then we go deeper.” [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistence leads to deeper understanding after repeated failure. **In simple terms:** Keep trying, even when you fail, to go deeper. Key Takeaway Embrace failure as a path to depth. Themes perseverance learning depth Mood calm inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - meditation practice - skill acquisition - creative projects Key Concepts Zen mindfulness resilience Questions to Reflect On - What does “going deeper” mean to you? - How can you turn setbacks into insight? A Different Perspective Failure can erode confidence if not reframed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeper/) [Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) [Fail Deeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-deeper-5813920/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Try Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-fail/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Yes I try to do everything I can not to fail hideously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-balaban/yes-i-try-to-do-everything-i-can-not-to-fail-hideously/) [Bob Balaban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-balaban/) > [Let's try and fail because through failure you learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/let-s-try-and-fail-because-through-failure-you-learn/) [Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/) > [if you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail… it takes back bone to lead the life you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/if-you-don-t-try-at-anything-you-can-t-fail-it-takes-back-bone-to/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/when-i-try-i-fail-when-i-trust-he-succeeds/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [Better to try something and fail than to try nothing and succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/better-to-try-something-and-fail-than-to-try-nothing-and-succeed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's Better To Try And Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-better-to-try-and-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some days, I think maybe we should try and be a little more conventional, but every time I try, I fail, so I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seinabo-sey/some-days-i-think-maybe-we-should-try-and-be-a-little-more/) [Seinabo Sey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seinabo-sey/) > [“Was better to try and fail, than to never have the experience?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-donovan/was-better-to-try-and-fail-than-to-never-have-the-experience/) [Rebecca Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-donovan/) > [Madame Leota: You try. You fail. You try. You fail. But the only true failure is when you stop trying. Jim: What do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-madame-leota-the-haunted-mansion/madame-leota-you-try-you-fail-you-try-you-fail-but-the-only-true/) [Jim Madame Leota; The Haunted Mansion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-madame-leota-the-haunted-mansion/) > [It is better to try and fail than fail to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proudlesbian/it-is-better-to-try-and-fail-than-fail-to-try/) [ProudLesbian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proudlesbian/) > [“If you try, you might fail, But if you don't try, you'll never succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-knight/if-you-try-you-might-fail-but-if-you-don-t-try-you-ll-never-succeed/) [Thomas A. Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-knight/) > [“You try again. You fail better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/you-try-again-you-fail-better/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [If you try, you may fail …..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/if-you-try-you-may-fail/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/all-of-old-nothing-else-ever-ever-tried-ever-failed-no-matter-try/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) ## More by Shunryu Suzuki > [The point we emphasize is strong confidence in our original nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-point-we-emphasize-is-strong-confidence-in-our-original-nature/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/if-you-continue-this-simple-practice-every-day-you-will-obtain-some/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [You want to eliminate your evil desires in order to reveal your Buddha nature, but where will you throw them away?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/you-want-to-eliminate-your-evil-desires-in-order-to-reveal-your/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Ego is a social institution with no physical reality. The ego is simply your symbol of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/ego-is-a-social-institution-with-no-physical-reality-the-ego-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the experts mind, there are few.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/in-the-beginner-s-mind-there-are-many-possibilities-in-the-experts/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The seed has no idea of being some particular plant, but it has its own form and is in perfect harmony with the ground,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-seed-has-no-idea-of-being-some-particular-plant-but-it-has-its/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Whereever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/whereever-you-are-you-are-one-with-the-clouds-and-one-with-the-sun/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [When we become truly ourselves, we just become a swinging door, and we are purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/when-we-become-truly-ourselves-we-just-become-a-swinging-door-and-we/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/zen-is-not-some-fancy-special-art-of-living-our-teaching-is-just-to/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem. It means to be yourself, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/so-the-secret-is-just-to-say-yes-and-jump-off-from-here-then-there-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/our-tendency-is-to-be-interested-in-something-that-is-growing-in-the/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The world is its own magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-world-is-its-own-magic/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It is not difficult because it is hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/people-say-that-practicing-zen-is-difficult-but-there-is-a/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Each one of us must make his own true way, and when we do, that way will express the universal way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/each-one-of-us-must-make-his-own-true-way-and-when-we-do-that-way/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The purpose of our practice is just to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-purpose-of-our-practice-is-just-to-be-yourself/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) [Explore all 262 Shunryu Suzuki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## More Deeper quotes > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Schools must inquire deeper into their own practices, explore new ways to motivate their learners, make use of learning styles, introduce multiple intelligences, integrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fullan/schools-must-inquire-deeper-into-their-own-practices-explore-new-ways/) [Michael Fullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fullan/) > [It's bluesy, rocky jazz. I call it soul music, but it's not James Brown soul music. It comes from my soul. It comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinsel-korey/it-s-bluesy-rocky-jazz-i-call-it-soul-music-but-it-s-not-james-brown/) [Tinsel Korey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinsel-korey/) > [I've certainly seen a lot of my cartoonist friends embrace 'Little Lulu' in a much deeper way because their kids love it so much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/i-ve-certainly-seen-a-lot-of-my-cartoonist-friends-embrace-little/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [“It is usually easier to see what lies on the surface of a person rather than taking the time and attention to delve deeper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-anne-warren/it-is-usually-easier-to-see-what-lies-on-the-surface-of-a-person/) [Tracy Anne Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-anne-warren/) > [Your deeper sense isn’t a springboard; it’s a landing place. If you draw conclusions too quickly or too slowly, you’ll establish your self where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/your-deeper-sense-isn-t-a-springboard-it-s-a-landing-place-if-you/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [Forgiving the men who killed my parents and brother was a process, a journey into deeper and deeper prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immaculee-ilibagiza/forgiving-the-men-who-killed-my-parents-and-brother-was-a-process-a/) [Immaculee Ilibagiza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immaculee-ilibagiza/) > [I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-thought-i-knew-a-lot-about-music-then-you-start-digging-and-the/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [As to London we must console ourselves with the thought that if life outside is less poetic than it was in the days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldwin-smith/as-to-london-we-must-console-ourselves-with-the-thought-that-if-life/) [Goldwin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldwin-smith/) > [On a deeper level you are already complete. When you realize that, there is a joyous energy behind what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/on-a-deeper-level-you-are-already-complete-when-you-realize-that/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Each day my love grows deeper, deeper than I never thought before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/each-day-my-love-grows-deeper-deeper-than-i-never-thought-before/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You know what I was thinking about on my way home? How different my life would be if you’d made that gash a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/you-know-what-i-was-thinking-about-on-my-way-home-how-different-my/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [When we have the same thought again, the line of the original thought is deepened, causing what's called a memory trace. With each repetition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/when-we-have-the-same-thought-again-the-line-of-the-original-thought/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [I would say 'Home' is a lot richer and deeper than my earlier classical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/i-would-say-home-is-a-lot-richer-and-deeper-than-my-earlier-classical/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) [Browse all 2,332 Deeper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeper/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We try, and we try, and we fail; and then we go deeper.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shunryu Suzuki" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-we-go-deeper/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deeper" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-we-go-deeper/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/shunryu-suzuki-1280_deeper_we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-w_3178418.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/shunryu-suzuki-1280_deeper_we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-w_3178418.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/shunryu-suzuki-1280_deeper_we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-w_3178418.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We try, and we try, and we fail; and then we go deeper.” — Shunryu Suzuki", "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": "Shunryu Suzuki", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We try, and we try, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-we-go-deeper/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/we-try-and-we-try-and-we-fail-and-then-we-go-deeper/#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 } } ] } ```