--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Failure is a great teacher, and I think…" description: "\"Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them as valuable learning experiences, then you'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/steve-harvey-1668_failure_failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-w_1530003.jpg" --- # Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make… ![“Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them as valuable learning experiences, then you've got something to share.” quote by Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/steve-harvey-1668_failure_failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-w_1530003.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/steve-harvey-1668_failure_failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-w_1530003.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/steve-harvey-1668_failure_failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-w_1530003.jpg) > “Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them as valuable learning experiences, then you've got something to share.” [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning from failure turns mistakes into valuable lessons that can be shared with others. **In simple terms:** Mistakes teach valuable lessons. Key Takeaway Embrace errors, learn, then teach. Themes growth resilience learning teaching Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - career development - public speaking - coaching - personal improvement Key Concepts self‑efficacy reflective practice growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How do you turn a mistake into a teachable moment? - What habits help you reflect after failure? A Different Perspective Failure alone doesn't guarantee insight; reflection is required. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-great-2212702/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-teacher/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Learning experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-experience/) [Learning Experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-experiences/) [Making mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-mistakes/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes Recover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes-recover-3908931/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/share/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Treat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat/) [Treats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treats/) [Valuable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valuable/) [Valuable Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valuable-learning-2153915/) ## Related quotes > [Having little money to spend was a valuable learning experience. My schooling also shaped my work ethic because while other children were listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-idle/having-little-money-to-spend-was-a-valuable-learning-experience-my/) [Eric Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-idle/) > [“Failure is a great teacher; but never insist on hiring one for yourself. Learn vicariously from others' teachers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashok-kallarakkal/failure-is-a-great-teacher-but-never-insist-on-hiring-one-for/) [Ashok Kallarakkal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashok-kallarakkal/) > [Failure is a great teacher and, if you are open to it, every mistake has a lesson to offer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-if-you-are-open-to-it-every-mistake/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/success-is-its-own-reward-but-failure-is-a-great-teacher-too-and-not/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I enjoy played flawed men who are pushed to the limit, who make mistakes and then have to recover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-speedman/i-enjoy-played-flawed-men-who-are-pushed-to-the-limit-who-make/) [Scott Speedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-speedman/) > [You can make a lot of mistakes and still recover if you run an efficient operation. Or you can be brilliant and still go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/you-can-make-a-lot-of-mistakes-and-still-recover-if-you-run-an/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Like any of life's refining fires, cancer is a potentially profound learning experience. So what did I learn? I learned that profound learning experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/like-any-of-life-s-refining-fires-cancer-is-a-potentially-profound/) [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) > [Setbacks are just learning experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/setbacks-are-just-learning-experiences/) [Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/) > [Each year has been so robust with problems and successes and learning experiences and human experienes that a year is a lifetime at Apple.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/each-year-has-been-so-robust-with-problems-and-successes-and-learning/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning experiences... I'm human, not perfect, like anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-latifah/i-made-decisions-that-i-regret-and-i-took-them-as-learning/) [Queen Latifah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-latifah/) > [“Anyway, that's what life is, just one learning experience after another, and when you're through with all the learning experiences you graduate and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/anyway-that-s-what-life-is-just-one-learning-experience-after-another/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [I have a really small rear-view mirror in my life. I look at the rear-view mirror for memories and learning experiences, but I've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-croce/i-have-a-really-small-rear-view-mirror-in-my-life-i-look-at-the-rear/) [Pat Croce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-croce/) > [I'm always learning from experiences because each one is different and there are different players involved in the project at the time with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-meloni/i-m-always-learning-from-experiences-because-each-one-is-different/) [Christopher Meloni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-meloni/) > [Learning professionals need to be thinking about creating learning experiences rather than learning content](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-jennings/learning-professionals-need-to-be-thinking-about-creating-learning/) [Charles Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-jennings/) > [Quality afterschool programs provide safe, engaging and fun learning experiences to help children and youth develop their social, emotional, physical, cultural and academic skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/quality-afterschool-programs-provide-safe-engaging-and-fun-learning/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) ## More by Steve Harvey > [If you're a generous person, when you get money and fame, you're going to be more generous. If you're a sharer, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/if-you-re-a-generous-person-when-you-get-money-and-fame-you-re-going/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [My mother raised me in the church. I was not allowed to stay home on Sunday; there was no option. I sang in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/my-mother-raised-me-in-the-church-i-was-not-allowed-to-stay-home-on/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [The most successful people in this world recognize that taking chances to get what they want is much more productive than sitting around being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/the-most-successful-people-in-this-world-recognize-that-taking/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [Sometimes out of your biggest misery, comes your greatest gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/sometimes-out-of-your-biggest-misery-comes-your-greatest-gain/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [But even in my darkest days I had faith it would turn around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/but-even-in-my-darkest-days-i-had-faith-it-would-turn-around/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [“I'm sure that if woman laid out the rules- requirements- early on, and let her intended know that he could either rise up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/i-m-sure-that-if-woman-laid-out-the-rules-requirements-early-on-and/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [Other than my foundation - mentoring programs - everything I do is for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/other-than-my-foundation-mentoring-programs-everything-i-do-is-for/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [My father told me never to take my foot off a ladder to kick at someone who was kicking at me. When I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/my-father-told-me-never-to-take-my-foot-off-a-ladder-to-kick-at/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [I think there are so many books out there written on relationships and romance that women are the authors of. How can women know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/i-think-there-are-so-many-books-out-there-written-on-relationships/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [I ain't no author, man... my writing skills are not of 'New York Times' best-seller quality, trust and believe it ain't. My vocabulary ain't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/i-ain-t-no-author-man-my-writing-skills-are-not-of-new-york-times/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [I think that once you lose your fear, and understand that your position is God-given, then, if you lose your fear of what man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/i-think-that-once-you-lose-your-fear-and-understand-that-your/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [I've had my share of problems along the way. Don't get me wrong, because there is no school for this. You go from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/i-ve-had-my-share-of-problems-along-the-way-don-t-get-me-wrong/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [The hip hop community is not at fault here - I'm definitely not blaming them. But, that can't be the only view of manhood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/the-hip-hop-community-is-not-at-fault-here-i-m-definitely-not-blaming/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [I don't see the women as a problem. The women are doing all they can do. They're heading up households; they're single parents; they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/i-don-t-see-the-women-as-a-problem-the-women-are-doing-all-they-can/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [“Men can cheat because there are so many women willing to give themselves to a man who doesn’t belong to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/men-can-cheat-because-there-are-so-many-women-willing-to-give/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) [Explore all 216 Steve Harvey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) ## 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": "Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them as valuable learning experiences, then you've got something to share.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Harvey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-when-you-make-mistakes-and-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-when-you-make-mistakes-and-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/steve-harvey-1668_failure_failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-w_1530003.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/steve-harvey-1668_failure_failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-w_1530003.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/462/steve-harvey-1668_failure_failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-w_1530003.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them…” — Steve Harvey", "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": "Steve Harvey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Failure is a great teacher, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-when-you-make-mistakes-and-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/failure-is-a-great-teacher-and-i-think-when-you-make-mistakes-and-you/#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 } } ] } ```