--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Success is not all about who first…" description: "\"Success is not all about who first succeeds, but who succeeds best.\" — Terry Mark" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/terry-mark-87_achievement_success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succe_1105916.jpg" --- # Success is not all about who first succeeds, but who… ![“Success is not all about who first succeeds, but who succeeds best.” quote by Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/terry-mark-87_achievement_success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succe_1105916.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/terry-mark-87_achievement_success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succe_1105916.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/terry-mark-87_achievement_success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succe_1105916.jpg) > “Success is not all about who first succeeds, but who succeeds best.” [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success is measured not by being first, but by the quality of achievement. **In simple terms:** Being best matters more than being first. Key Takeaway Focus on excellence. Themes success quality competition Mood motivational analytical Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career - sports - education - entrepreneurship Key Concepts performance motivation Questions to Reflect On - What defines true success? - How to improve after initial win? A Different Perspective Being first can be valuable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Being the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-the-best/) [Succeeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeeds/) [Succeeds Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeeds-best-2599743/) [Succeeds Succeeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeeds-succeeds-2921628/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Succeeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-succeeds-2921627/) ## Related quotes > [The bold adventurer succeeds the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/the-bold-adventurer-succeeds-the-best/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Flattery succeeds best on minds previously occupied by conceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/flattery-succeeds-best-on-minds-previously-occupied-by-conceit/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [Don't waste your joy trying to find out what people think about you. Simply use your joy to become the best person you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/don-t-waste-your-joy-trying-to-find-out-what-people-think-about-you/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Whenever you feel you're too small to achieve great things, also remember that you are lying to yourself. God has given every man the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/whenever-you-feel-you-re-too-small-to-achieve-great-things-also/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [He that succeeds makes an important thing of the immediate task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/he-that-succeeds-makes-an-important-thing-of-the-immediate-task/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [“He didn’t fail to disappoint. He always succeeds at failing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/he-didn-t-fail-to-disappoint-he-always-succeeds-at-failing/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Evening succeeds evening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/evening-succeeds-evening/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [Isn't it amazing the way the future succeeds in creating an appropriate past?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leonard/isn-t-it-amazing-the-way-the-future-succeeds-in-creating-an/) [John Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leonard/) > [I think certain movies work and that is part of the magic of it all. We can't truly define why something succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/i-think-certain-movies-work-and-that-is-part-of-the-magic-of-it-all/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [When one team member succeeds, the entire team succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-allison/when-one-team-member-succeeds-the-entire-team-succeeds/) [Stacy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-allison/) > [No revolution succeeds without sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-palmer/no-revolution-succeeds-without-sacrifice/) [Diana Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-palmer/) > [But the more an organization succeeds and prospers, the more it is likely to be diverted from its original ideals, principles and purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shea/but-the-more-an-organization-succeeds-and-prospers-the-more-it-is/) [Robert Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shea/) > [If the art is concealed, it succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/if-the-art-is-concealed-it-succeeds/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [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/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More by Terry Mark > [Hate nothing in another human being because your eyes is made looking at others but never at your own self except in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/hate-nothing-in-another-human-being-because-your-eyes-is-made-looking/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Sometimes, the person you trust most is the one who trusts you the least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-the-person-you-trust-most-is-the-one-who-trusts-you-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Fill your minds with thoughts that will make you smile each time you remember them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/fill-your-minds-with-thoughts-that-will-make-you-smile-each-time-you/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Sometimes you never notice when somebody is breaking your heart, until they are through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-you-never-notice-when-somebody-is-breaking-your-heart-until/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [If possible, I want to hear POLITICS defined without either sympathy or apathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-possible-i-want-to-hear-politics-defined-without-either-sympathy/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Sometimes the best thing to do when someone is spitting harsh words on us is to simply fold our hands and watch. Not because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-the-best-thing-to-do-when-someone-is-spitting-harsh-words/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [If you have a bad day,pray. If you have a good day,pray. Pray for the best. Pray with the best. Prayer is the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-you-have-a-bad-day-pray-if-you-have-a-good-day-pray-pray-for-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Procrastination isn't patience. It's a sign of laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/procrastination-isn-t-patience-it-s-a-sign-of-laziness/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Don't shout at my face, I won't understand you. Speak to my heart, I will feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/don-t-shout-at-my-face-i-won-t-understand-you-speak-to-my-heart-i/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [My Life ain't steady but I always try to steady myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/my-life-ain-t-steady-but-i-always-try-to-steady-myself/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Whoever knows and fears God has conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/whoever-knows-and-fears-god-has-conscience/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [The Good Hearts always easily get broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/the-good-hearts-always-easily-get-broken/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [My troubles taught me not to be lazy if I really want to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/my-troubles-taught-me-not-to-be-lazy-if-i-really-want-to-win/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Don't try to prove yourself the extra mile, your daily Life is enough to do that for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/don-t-try-to-prove-yourself-the-extra-mile-your-daily-life-is-enough/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [No matter how we repeat a lie, no matter how we deceive a people, the lies at the end can never be the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/no-matter-how-we-repeat-a-lie-no-matter-how-we-deceive-a-people-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) [Explore all 1,469 Terry Mark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) ## More Achievement quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) [Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/) > [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) [Chaz Brenchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-brenchley/) > [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/) [Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/) [Nicholas Roerich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-roerich/) > [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) [Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Success is not all about who first succeeds, but who succeeds best.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Mark" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succeeds-but-who-succeeds-best/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achievement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succeeds-but-who-succeeds-best/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/terry-mark-87_achievement_success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succe_1105916.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/terry-mark-87_achievement_success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succe_1105916.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/terry-mark-87_achievement_success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succe_1105916.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Success is not all about who first succeeds, but who succeeds best.” — Terry Mark", "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": "Terry Mark", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Success is not all about who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succeeds-but-who-succeeds-best/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/success-is-not-all-about-who-first-succeeds-but-who-succeeds-best/#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 } } ] } ```