--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The true test of one's mettle is how many…" description: "\"“The true test of one's mettle is how many times you will try before you give up.”\" — Stephen Richards" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/stephen-richards-446_quote_the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-man_2240238.jpg" --- # The true test of one's mettle is how many times you will… ![“The true test of one's mettle is how many times you will try before you give up.” quote by Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/stephen-richards-446_quote_the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-man_2240238.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/stephen-richards-446_quote_the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-man_2240238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/stephen-richards-446_quote_the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-man_2240238.jpg) > ““The true test of one's mettle is how many times you will try before you give up.”” [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perseverance is measured by repeated attempts before quitting, not by a single effort. **In simple terms:** Your resilience shows in how often you try before giving up. Key Takeaway Keep trying despite setbacks. Themes resilience determination growth Mood motivational encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - career challenges - academic pursuits - personal projects - athletic training Key Concepts psychology goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to persist? - How to handle repeated setbacks? A Different Perspective Repeated failure can erode confidence without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test/) [Test Mettle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test-mettle-5075926/) [Times Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-try-813752/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [True Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-test-409538/) ## Related quotes > [Some interviews wind you up. Some test your mettle. 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My frontal lobe is still drunk from last night.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/merit-no-ma-no-there-s-an-m-word-for-bravery-but-i-can-t-recall-it-my/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [“A man who doesn't test the mettle of his soul isn't much of a man...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-w-hill/a-man-who-doesn-t-test-the-mettle-of-his-soul-isn-t-much-of-a-man/) [Joey W. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-w-hill/) > [Most times when you try to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/most-times-when-you-try-to-be-all-things-to-all-people-you-end-up/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [There are times I try to look older. And then there are times I look too young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alia-bhatt/there-are-times-i-try-to-look-older-and-then-there-are-times-i-look/) [Alia Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alia-bhatt/) > [I don't know really, it doesn't feel like it has changed to me but I think to have to move with the times. Try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/i-don-t-know-really-it-doesn-t-feel-like-it-has-changed-to-me-but-i/) [Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/) > [You've just got to keep going through the tough times and try your best every time you play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-abraham/you-ve-just-got-to-keep-going-through-the-tough-times-and-try-your/) [Tammy Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-abraham/) > [A lot of times, you try and please your biological family, and you can't please them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/a-lot-of-times-you-try-and-please-your-biological-family-and-you-can/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [“These are the times that try men's souls. It's never pleasant to be caught in the machinery when a favourite comes unstitched, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls-it-s-never-pleasant-to-be/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [You can't force a relationship to work out , if it didn't work out the first time , it won't the second time ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy/you-can-t-force-a-relationship-to-work-out-if-it-didn-t-work-out-the/) [Nancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy/) > [No matter how many times I try and move on, my heart always takes me back here to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-many-times-i-try-and-move-on-my-heart-always-takes-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [These are the times that try men's souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“A true test of someone’s love is how they act when they’re stressed and not how much they love you when everything’s goin’ good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-graves/a-true-test-of-someone-s-love-is-how-they-act-when-they-re-stressed/) [T.R. Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) ## More by Stephen Richards > [“Use ‘Why?’ to help you follow the breadcrumbs back to the source of the problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/use-why-to-help-you-follow-the-breadcrumbs-back-to-the-source-of-the/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Learn to forgive others so that you can release yourself from being held captive by the very negative thoughts around you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/learn-to-forgive-others-so-that-you-can-release-yourself-from-being/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“It’s a red sky every night with Cosmic Ordering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/it-s-a-red-sky-every-night-with-cosmic-ordering/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“To control your life, control your mind. To control your mind, control your breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/to-control-your-life-control-your-mind-to-control-your-mind-control/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Even though your thinking might not be right for others, just so long as it's right for you then that's all what matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/even-though-your-thinking-might-not-be-right-for-others-just-so-long/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“When you accomplish the impossible then you can achieve anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-you-accomplish-the-impossible-then-you-can-achieve-anything/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Just as the universe is in constant flux, so too are we in constant change, and we must accept that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/just-as-the-universe-is-in-constant-flux-so-too-are-we-in-constant/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Jedi are always assessing situations, actions and possibilities. Jedi don’t just think outside of the box with the help from the Force, they also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/jedi-are-always-assessing-situations-actions-and-possibilities-jedi/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Good thoughts can become reality with Cosmic Ordering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/good-thoughts-can-become-reality-with-cosmic-ordering/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Defeat the warriors of patience and time with Cosmic Ordering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/defeat-the-warriors-of-patience-and-time-with-cosmic-ordering/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“If you are in a prison of fear ... break out!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/if-you-are-in-a-prison-of-fear-break-out/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Some people pray for miracles ... with Cosmic Ordering YOU manifest them!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/some-people-pray-for-miracles-with-cosmic-ordering-you-manifest-them/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“The future never happens; there will always be a future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-future-never-happens-there-will-always-be-a-future/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Anger is the fire of the soul, love is the language of the heart ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/anger-is-the-fire-of-the-soul-love-is-the-language-of-the-heart/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“When we focus our thoughts on something, we resonate with it. When that resonance is constant and directed, we draw it to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-we-focus-our-thoughts-on-something-we-resonate-with-it-when-that/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) [Explore all 549 Stephen Richards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) ## 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": "“The true test of one's mettle is how many times you will try before you give up.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Richards" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-many-times-you-will-try-before/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-many-times-you-will-try-before/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/stephen-richards-446_quote_the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-man_2240238.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/stephen-richards-446_quote_the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-man_2240238.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/stephen-richards-446_quote_the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-man_2240238.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The true test of one's mettle is how many times you will try before you give up.” — Stephen Richards", "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 Richards", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The true test of one's mettle...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-many-times-you-will-try-before/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-many-times-you-will-try-before/#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 } } ] } ```