--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be successful at anything, you need…" description: "\"To be successful at anything, you need the right to fail, not just occasionally.\" — Stephen Frears" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/stephen-frears-28358_being-successful_to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-th_274470.jpg" --- # To be successful at anything, you need the right to fail… ![“To be successful at anything, you need the right to fail, not just occasionally.” quote by Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/stephen-frears-28358_being-successful_to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-th_274470.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/stephen-frears-28358_being-successful_to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-th_274470.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/stephen-frears-28358_being-successful_to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-th_274470.jpg) > “To be successful at anything, you need the right to fail, not just occasionally.” [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success requires a consistent permission to fail, not just occasional setbacks, to foster growth and resilience. **In simple terms:** You need regular freedom to fail, not just rare chances. Key Takeaway Embrace frequent, controlled failure. Themes growth failure resilience innovation learning Mood motivational practical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - software development - artistic creation - education Key Concepts psychology risk management creative process Questions to Reflect On - What structures can you set to fail safely? - How do you differentiate productive failure from waste? A Different Perspective Frequent failure can erode confidence if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) [Fail Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-just-629275/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Need Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-right-261136/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Right Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-fail-1145837/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-need-734281/) ## Related quotes > [It's all right to fail. You just have to get up again and try. That's the bottom line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-joseph/it-s-all-right-to-fail-you-just-have-to-get-up-again-and-try-that-s/) [Tyler Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-joseph/) > [To be successful, you need leisure. You need time hanging heavily on your hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/to-be-successful-you-need-leisure-you-need-time-hanging-heavily-on/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [To be successful, you only need one person to believe!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/to-be-successful-you-only-need-one-person-to-believe/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) > [“We don't punish the ones who fail. They just-don't go on,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-don-t-punish-the-ones-who-fail-they-just-don-t-go-on/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“I never fail. It's just that the people around me succeed more than I.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-bryant/i-never-fail-it-s-just-that-the-people-around-me-succeed-more-than-i/) [Carroll Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-bryant/) > [It doesn't hurt to try and fail, it just hurts to know you never had a chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-doesn-t-hurt-to-try-and-fail-it-just-hurts-to-know-you-never-had-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you see what is right and you fail to act on it; you lack courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-you-see-what-is-right-and-you-fail-to-act-on-it-you-lack-courage/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [ \[ Oval House\] director, Peter Oliver, gave you the right to fail. He had a philosophy that came from Winston Churchill that you go… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratzenberger/oval-house-director-peter-oliver-gave-you-the-right-to-fail-he-had-a/) [John Ratzenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratzenberger/) > [“Sometimes it’s possible to do everything right and still fail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-anthony-curran/sometimes-it-s-possible-to-do-everything-right-and-still-fail/) [John Anthony Curran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-anthony-curran/) > [I'd rather look a fool than be right and fail to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/i-d-rather-look-a-fool-than-be-right-and-fail-to-act/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“It is better to make mistake and own it. Than to follow what people think is right and then you fail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ojingiri-hannah/it-is-better-to-make-mistake-and-own-it-than-to-follow-what-people/) [Ojingiri Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ojingiri-hannah/) > [Even when we know what is right, too often we fail to act. More often we grab greedily for the day, letting tomorrow bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-baruch/even-when-we-know-what-is-right-too-often-we-fail-to-act-more-often/) [Bernard Baruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-baruch/) > [The more successful I become, the more I need a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/the-more-successful-i-become-the-more-i-need-a-man/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“To be successful, you need to do two things: 1. Condition your hair, 2. Do the same with your mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manhardeep-singh-ahluwalia/to-be-successful-you-need-to-do-two-things-1-condition-your-hair-2-do/) [Manhardeep Singh Ahluwalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manhardeep-singh-ahluwalia/) > [If you want to be successful, you need to work as a team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kolo-toure/if-you-want-to-be-successful-you-need-to-work-as-a-team/) [Kolo Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kolo-toure/) ## More by Stephen Frears > [The only way you can learn about making films is by making them, by putting your stamp on the thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/the-only-way-you-can-learn-about-making-films-is-by-making-them-by/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [Audiences arent fools - their judgement really is important. And the true heroes of films are the investors. They take the risk, after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/audiences-arent-fools-their-judgement-really-is-important-and-the/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I have people around me. I have a semi-permanent crew. If I make a film, they just turn up. They don't even invite themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-have-people-around-me-i-have-a-semi-permanent-crew-if-i-make-a-film/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I like a lot of takes. I just go on until the actors get it right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-like-a-lot-of-takes-i-just-go-on-until-the-actors-get-it-right/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I want my films to get audiences. I am not interested in making them just for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-want-my-films-to-get-audiences-i-am-not-interested-in-making-them/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [When I go and teach, it sort of opens me up in some way. And when you're open, you're more receptive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/when-i-go-and-teach-it-sort-of-opens-me-up-in-some-way-and-when-you/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I teach film directing, inasmuch as you can. Its not really possible to teach film direction, but I sit there as a sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-teach-film-directing-inasmuch-as-you-can-its-not-really-possible-to/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I like making films about different cultures. I'm interested in things that I've never encountered before. I try to put myself in the audience's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-like-making-films-about-different-cultures-i-m-interested-in-things/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I never thought I was very good at developing material. I grew up at the BBC where they sent you scripts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-never-thought-i-was-very-good-at-developing-material-i-grew-up-at/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [It never crossed my mind to make a film about Muhammad Ali or the Queen or any of them! They just come out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/it-never-crossed-my-mind-to-make-a-film-about-muhammad-ali-or-the/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [There's the physical life and the voice, but at some point you abandon all of that, you know what the spirit of the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/there-s-the-physical-life-and-the-voice-but-at-some-point-you-abandon/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I've always found poverty a source of strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-ve-always-found-poverty-a-source-of-strength/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [Truth is quite constricting, in a way. You endlessly see at the start of a film 'This is a true story'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/truth-is-quite-constricting-in-a-way-you-endlessly-see-at-the-start/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I'm Jewish; I'm not religious at all, and I wouldn't pretend to know anything about Catholic politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-m-jewish-i-m-not-religious-at-all-and-i-wouldn-t-pretend-to-know/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [As a director, my job is to protect. I protect scripts, actors, cameramen, designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/as-a-director-my-job-is-to-protect-i-protect-scripts-actors-cameramen/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) [Explore all 19 Stephen Frears quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) ## More Being successful quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) [Chris Kirubi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirubi/) > [You cannot be successful without passion. If you don't love what you're doing, if you don't have passion for it - forget it. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-cannot-be-successful-without-passion-if-you-don-t-love-what-you/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You can't not be a little different from others and be successful for three decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/you-can-t-not-be-a-little-different-from-others-and-be-successful-for/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Everyone has a breaking point, turning point, stress point, the game is permeated with it. The fans don't see it because we make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everyone-has-a-breaking-point-turning-point-stress-point-the-game-is/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [If you increase the number of rockets you build and you buy, then it's the scale of the economy, the price is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/if-you-increase-the-number-of-rockets-you-build-and-you-buy-then-it-s/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/hockey-is-a-unique-sport-in-the-sense-that-you-need-each-and-every/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [There has always been a display of wealth and always will be, until the depression comes, which it always does. And let me tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-has-always-been-a-display-of-wealth-and-always-will-be-until/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [There's nobody that wants the president to be successful more than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/there-s-nobody-that-wants-the-president-to-be-successful-more-than-i/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [Don't worry about your individual numbers. Worry about the team. If the team is successful, each of you will be successful, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/don-t-worry-about-your-individual-numbers-worry-about-the-team-if-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [We have to be successful at the cutting-edge industries of the future like Twitter. But we also have always been a country that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-to-be-successful-at-the-cutting-edge-industries-of-the-future/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Also, it's not the mathematical skill that's critical to winning, it's the discipline of being able to stick to the system. 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "To be successful at anything, you need the right to fail, not just occasionally.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Frears" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-the-right-to-fail-not-just/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being successful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-the-right-to-fail-not-just/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/stephen-frears-28358_being-successful_to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-th_274470.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/stephen-frears-28358_being-successful_to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-th_274470.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/808/stephen-frears-28358_being-successful_to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-th_274470.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be successful at anything, you need the right to fail, not just occasionally.” — Stephen Frears", "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": "Stephen Frears", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To be successful at anything, you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-the-right-to-fail-not-just/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/to-be-successful-at-anything-you-need-the-right-to-fail-not-just/#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 } } ] } ```