--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who fails well is greater than one…" description: "\"A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly.\" — Thomas Merton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/thomas-merton-231_failing_a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one_925852.jpg" --- # A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly. ![“A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/thomas-merton-231_failing_a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one_925852.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/thomas-merton-231_failing_a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one_925852.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/thomas-merton-231_failing_a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one_925852.jpg) > “A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Failing well teaches humility and growth, surpassing the hollow success of poor execution. **In simple terms:** Fail well, succeed better. Key Takeaway Learn from mistakes. Themes failure growth humility success learning Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career - personal development - education Key Concepts resilience self‑improvement character development Questions to Reflect On - What does “failing well” look like? - How to avoid bad success? A Different Perspective Bad success can be superficial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Fails Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fails-greater-1470018/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Greater Succeeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater-succeeds-1470020/) [Man Fails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-fails-394208/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Succeeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeeds/) [Succeeds Badly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeeds-badly-1470019/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [When a man has fulfilled all four of these requisites-to be wide awake, to have fear, respect, and absolute assurance-there are no mistakes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/when-a-man-has-fulfilled-all-four-of-these-requisites-to-be-wide/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [The man who fails because he aims astray or because he does not aim at all is to be found everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-arthur-swinnerton/the-man-who-fails-because-he-aims-astray-or-because-he-does-not-aim/) [Frank Arthur Swinnerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-arthur-swinnerton/) > [Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory it too good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-a-man-fails-as-an-original-thinker-simply-because-his-memory-it/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The man who fails while trying to do good has more honor than he who succeeds by accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/the-man-who-fails-while-trying-to-do-good-has-more-honor-than-he-who/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“Many a man fails to become a thinker for the sole reason that his memory is too good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-a-man-fails-to-become-a-thinker-for-the-sole-reason-that-his/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Many a man never fails because he never tries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-macewen/many-a-man-never-fails-because-he-never-tries/) [Norman MacEwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-macewen/) > [When a man fails to understand something he is conscious of a discord, and seeks for the cause of it not in himself, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/when-a-man-fails-to-understand-something-he-is-conscious-of-a-discord/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [No man fails who does his best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/no-man-fails-who-does-his-best/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-a-man-fails-as-an-original-thinker-simply-because-his-memory-is/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Every man fails in any aspect because of a girl in him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymonds/every-man-fails-in-any-aspect-because-of-a-girl-in-him/) [Raymonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymonds/) > [A father is a man who fails every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/a-father-is-a-man-who-fails-every-day/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [A man who fails is funny... if my sketches teach anything, it is that, for the male, sex is a snare and a delusion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hill/a-man-who-fails-is-funny-if-my-sketches-teach-anything-it-is-that-for/) [Benny Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hill/) > [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 Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. For when our hope is pure, it no longer trusts exclusively in human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/we-are-not-perfectly-free-until-we-live-in-pure-hope-for-when-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-enter-into-the-realm-of-contemplation-one-must-in-a-certain-sense/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. 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Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [Trial by jury. Live wherever you can make a living. How could a government based on such principles fail?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/trial-by-jury-live-wherever-you-can-make-a-living-how-could-a/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [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/) > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [I would warn against holsters with devices for quick-draw. Devices always fail when you need them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-would-warn-against-holsters-with-devices-for-quick-draw-devices/) [William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [When I paint, I never think of selling. People simply fail to understand that we paint in order to experiment and to develop ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-munch/when-i-paint-i-never-think-of-selling-people-simply-fail-to/) [Edvard Munch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-munch/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I wake up every morning fearing I am going to fail. But I love a challenge, big or small. There's so much I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mone/i-wake-up-every-morning-fearing-i-am-going-to-fail-but-i-love-a/) [Michelle Mone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mone/) > [What I want is to be willing to fail rather than stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/what-i-want-is-to-be-willing-to-fail-rather-than-stagnate/) [James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The very first company I started failed with a great bang. The second one failed a little bit less, but still failed. The third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-levchin/the-very-first-company-i-started-failed-with-a-great-bang-the-second/) [Max Levchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-levchin/) [Browse all 5,634 Failing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Merton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one-who-succeeds-badly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one-who-succeeds-badly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/thomas-merton-231_failing_a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one_925852.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/thomas-merton-231_failing_a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one_925852.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/046/thomas-merton-231_failing_a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one_925852.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly.” — Thomas Merton", "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": "Thomas Merton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man who fails well is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one-who-succeeds-badly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/a-man-who-fails-well-is-greater-than-one-who-succeeds-badly/#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 } } ] } ```