--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It does not matter how many tumbles you…" description: "\"It does not matter how many tumbles you have in this life, so long as you do not get dirty when you tumble; it is only the people who have to stop to b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/thomas-huxley-1183_benefits_it-does-not-matter-how-many-tumbles-you_2503578.jpg" --- # It does not matter how many tumbles you have in this life… ![“It does not matter how many tumbles you have in this life, so long as you do not get dirty when you tumble; it is only the people who have to stop to be washed and made clean, who must necessarily lose the race. And I can assure you that there is the greatest practical benefit in making a few…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/thomas-huxley-1183_benefits_it-does-not-matter-how-many-tumbles-you_2503578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/thomas-huxley-1183_benefits_it-does-not-matter-how-many-tumbles-you_2503578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/thomas-huxley-1183_benefits_it-does-not-matter-how-many-tumbles-you_2503578.jpg) > “It does not matter how many tumbles you have in this life, so long as you do not get dirty when you tumble; it is only the people who have to stop to be washed and made clean, who must necessarily lose the race. And I can assure you that there is the greatest practical benefit in making a few failures early in life. You learn that which is of inestimable importance” [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early failures are beneficial; they keep you clean and give practical advantages later. **In simple terms:** Early failures are useful and keep you clean. Key Takeaway Embrace small failures early to learn and stay ahead. Themes growth failure learning competition Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - startup launches - sports training - academic research Key Concepts evolution resilience skill development Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn early setbacks into lessons? - When should you avoid unnecessary risk? A Different Perspective Too many failures can damage confidence or resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Clean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean/) [Dirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirty/) [Dirty Tumble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirty-tumble-1086240/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Practicals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practicals/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/) [Tumble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tumble/) [Tumble People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tumble-people-1086241/) [Tumbles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tumbles-524073/) [Tumbles Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tumbles-life-1086239/) ## Related quotes > [A man without self-restraint is like a barrel without hoops, and tumbles to pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-man-without-self-restraint-is-like-a-barrel-without-hoops-and/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [You understand in this league that if you don't win, everybody's stock tumbles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-harris/you-understand-in-this-league-that-if-you-don-t-win-everybody-s-stock/) [Tobias Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-harris/) > [“The harder she fights the fall, the faster she tumbles out of reason and into love’s madness. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-miles/the-harder-she-fights-the-fall-the-faster-she-tumbles-out-of-reason/) [Amy Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-miles/) > [Human reason is like a drunken man on horseback; set it up on one side, and it tumbles over on the other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/human-reason-is-like-a-drunken-man-on-horseback-set-it-up-on-one-side/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Most people are like a falling leaf as it twists and turns its way through the air, lurches and tumbles to the ground. Others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/most-people-are-like-a-falling-leaf-as-it-twists-and-turns-its-way/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“life is full of unexpected tumbles. you will come to little harm if you learn to accept them in good heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-lorrimer/life-is-full-of-unexpected-tumbles-you-will-come-to-little-harm-if/) [Claire Lorrimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-lorrimer/) > [“Are you all right?” It’s a stupid question because there’s not much I can do for him if he isn’t all right, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ee/are-you-all-right-it-s-a-stupid-question-because-there-s-not-much-i/) [Susan Ee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ee/) > [Year after year students tumble along like the waters of a river. They flow away, and only the teacher is left behind, like some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobo-abe/year-after-year-students-tumble-along-like-the-waters-of-a-river-they/) [Kobo Abe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobo-abe/) > [“Words sometimes tumble out before I can self-edit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-bloom/words-sometimes-tumble-out-before-i-can-self-edit/) [Rebecca Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-bloom/) > [Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/do-not-be-too-timid-and-squeamish-about-your-actions-all-life-is-an/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/do-the-one-thing-you-think-you-cannot-do-fail-at-it-try-again-do/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“Don't be too hard on yourself! You'll fall apart if you tumble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/don-t-be-too-hard-on-yourself-you-ll-fall-apart-if-you-tumble/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I took one look and fell, hook and tumble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/i-took-one-look-and-fell-hook-and-tumble/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [“When we fail to reflect on the undercurrents of the circumstances of our life, we may have permanent misgivings about the quality of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-we-fail-to-reflect-on-the-undercurrents-of-the-circumstances-of/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [I love a bit of rough and tumble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-harris/i-love-a-bit-of-rough-and-tumble/) [Chris Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-harris/) ## More by Thomas Huxley > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [There is nothing of permanent value (putting aside a few human affections) nothing that satisfies quiet reflection--except the sense of having worked according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/there-is-nothing-of-permanent-value-putting-aside-a-few-human/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Economy does not lie in sparing money, but in spending it wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/economy-does-not-lie-in-sparing-money-but-in-spending-it-wisely/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [It is not to be forgotten that what we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/it-is-not-to-be-forgotten-that-what-we-call-rational-grounds-for-our/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Only a scientific people can survive in a scientific future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/only-a-scientific-people-can-survive-in-a-scientific-future/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Our reverence for the nobility of manhood will not be lessened by the knowledge that man is in substance and in structure, one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/our-reverence-for-the-nobility-of-manhood-will-not-be-lessened-by-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [In science, as in art, and, as I believe, in every other sphere of human activity, there may be wisdom in a multitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/in-science-as-in-art-and-as-i-believe-in-every-other-sphere-of-human/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/science-is-simply-common-sense-at-its-best-that-is-rigidly-accurate/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Oh devil! truth is better than much profit. I have searched over the grounds of my belief, and if wife and child and name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/oh-devil-truth-is-better-than-much-profit-i-have-searched-over-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Let us have "sweet girl graduates" by all means. They will be none the less sweet for a little wisdom; and the "golden hair"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/let-us-have-sweet-girl-graduates-by-all-means-they-will-be-none-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [In matters of the intellect, do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable. That I take to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/in-matters-of-the-intellect-do-not-pretend-that-conclusions-are/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [And you very soon find out, if you have not found it out before, that patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/and-you-very-soon-find-out-if-you-have-not-found-it-out-before-that/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [No one who has lived in the world as long as you & I have, can entertain the pious delusion that it is engineered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/no-one-who-has-lived-in-the-world-as-long-as-you-i-have-can-entertain/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Mix salt and sand, and it shall puzzle the wisest of men, with his mere natural appliances, to separate all the grains of sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/mix-salt-and-sand-and-it-shall-puzzle-the-wisest-of-men-with-his-mere/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [What are the moral convictions most fondly held by barbarous and semi-barbarous people? They are the convictions that authority is the soundest basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/what-are-the-moral-convictions-most-fondly-held-by-barbarous-and-semi/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) [Explore all 278 Thomas Huxley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) ## More Benefits quotes > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. 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