--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most important thing in life is not…" description: "\"The most important thing in life is not to capitalize on your successes-any fool can do that. The really important thing is to profit from your mistake..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/william-bolitho-13023_can-do_the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-not_2425767.jpg" --- # The most important thing in life is not to capitalize on… ![“The most important thing in life is not to capitalize on your successes-any fool can do that. The really important thing is to profit from your mistakes.” quote by William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/william-bolitho-13023_can-do_the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-not_2425767.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/william-bolitho-13023_can-do_the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-not_2425767.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/william-bolitho-13023_can-do_the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-not_2425767.jpg) > “The most important thing in life is not to capitalize on your successes-any fool can do that. The really important thing is to profit from your mistakes.” [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) ## 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 easy to claim, but learning from mistakes is truly valuable. **In simple terms:** Profit from errors, not just successes. Key Takeaway Learn from failures. Themes growth humility learning Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - career advice - personal finance - education Key Concepts Mistake analysis resilience personal development Questions to Reflect On - How do you review failures? - What lessons have you applied? A Different Perspective Focusing only on success can breed complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Most important things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most-important-things-in-life/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [The most important thing in life is not simply to capitalize on your gains. Any fool can do that. The important thing is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-not-simply-to-capitalize-on-your/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [The most important thing in life is not to capitalize on your gains. Any fool can do that. The really important thing is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-not-to-capitalize-on-your-gains/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Profit by your own mistakes and profit by the mistakes of others. The referees were calling ball handling violations like they were getting commissions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/profit-by-your-own-mistakes-and-profit-by-the-mistakes-of-others-the/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [Fools you are. To say you learn by your experience. I prefer to profit by others' mistakes and avoid the price of my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-you-are-to-say-you-learn-by-your-experience-i-prefer-to-profit/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/the-successful-man-will-profit-from-his-mistakes-and-try-again-in-a/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [If a man didn't make mistakes he'd own the world in a month.But if he didn't profit by his mistakes he wouldn't own a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-lefevre/if-a-man-didn-t-make-mistakes-he-d-own-the-world-in-a-month-but-if-he/) [Edwin Lefevre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-lefevre/) > [La chose la plus importante a' toute la vie est le choix du me tier: le hasard en dispose. The most important thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/la-chose-la-plus-importante-a-toute-la-vie-est-le-choix-du-me-tier-le/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Ever since then I have known that if all the values in this world are more or less questionable, the most important thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-yevtushenko/ever-since-then-i-have-known-that-if-all-the-values-in-this-world-are/) [Yevgeny Yevtushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-yevtushenko/) > [Love is the most important thing in life. If you don't have (a relationship), you're always looking for one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-crow/love-is-the-most-important-thing-in-life-if-you-don-t-have-a/) [Sheryl Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-crow/) > [The most important thing in life will always be family. The people right here, right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-diesel/the-most-important-thing-in-life-will-always-be-family-the-people/) [Vin Diesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-diesel/) > [The most important thing in life is human affection. Without it one cannot achieve genuine happiness. And if we want a happier life, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-human-affection-without-it-one/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Laughing is such a pure and natural thing I try to laugh every day. Think that's one of the most important things in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/laughing-is-such-a-pure-and-natural-thing-i-try-to-laugh-every-day/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) > [Figure out who you are separate from your family, and the man or woman you're in a relationship with. Find who you are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/figure-out-who-you-are-separate-from-your-family-and-the-man-or-woman/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Being popular is the most important thing in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/being-popular-is-the-most-important-thing-in-the-world/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-de-coubertin/the-essential-thing-is-not-to-have-conquered-but-to-have-fought-well/) [Pierre de Coubertin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-de-coubertin/) ## More by William Bolitho > [“To a Bonaparte it represents what Jacob Astor meant when he said, “The first hundred thousand dollars are the most difficult.” It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/to-a-bonaparte-it-represents-what-jacob-astor-meant-when-he-said-the/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“All these outposts were broken in,and that which in other histories would have counted as three victories did not delay the progress of Charles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/all-these-outposts-were-broken-in-and-that-which-in-other-histories/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [The profession of magician, isone of the most perilous and arduous specialisations of the imagination. On the one handthere is the hostility of God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/the-profession-of-magician-isone-of-the-most-perilous-and-arduous/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [We will never have Fascism in England; no Englishman will dress up, not even for a revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/we-will-never-have-fascism-in-england-no-englishman-will-dress-up-not/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [The shortest way out of Manchester is notoriously a bottle of Gordon's gin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/the-shortest-way-out-of-manchester-is-notoriously-a-bottle-of-gordon/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [A very beautiful woman hardly ever leaves a clear-cut impression of features and shape in the memory: usually there remains only an aura of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/a-very-beautiful-woman-hardly-ever-leaves-a-clear-cut-impression-of/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [General jackdaw culture, very little more than a collection of charming miscomprehensions, untargeted enthusiasms, and a general habit of skimming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/general-jackdaw-culture-very-little-more-than-a-collection-of/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [Dare, will, keep silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/dare-will-keep-silence/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“The adventurer, by minimum definition, is an individualist. The life of adventure is an unsocial game; therefore in direct contrast with the married, supported…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/the-adventurer-by-minimum-definition-is-an-individualist-the-life-of/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“Like most people of his temperament, though sociable, he (Napolean) disliked company in which he would have to appear merely as one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/like-most-people-of-his-temperament-though-sociable-he-napolean/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [The profession of magician, is one of the most perilous and arduous specializations of the imagination. On the one hand there is the hostility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/the-profession-of-magician-is-one-of-the-most-perilous-and-arduous/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“Napoleon fell into the situation that is the misery of many men of action, and lost the power of enjoying things directly, by himself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/napoleon-fell-into-the-situation-that-is-the-misery-of-many-men-of/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [It is when Pirates count their booty that they become mere thieves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/it-is-when-pirates-count-their-booty-that-they-become-mere-thieves/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“In politics, where everything romantic and sentimental is folly, the converse is usually considered true, and every brutality is thought sound sense”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/in-politics-where-everything-romantic-and-sentimental-is-folly-the/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“The historic moment is always simple and brief: it belongs to one man and one will alone, without possibility (if it be truly ripe)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/the-historic-moment-is-always-simple-and-brief-it-belongs-to-one-man/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) [Explore all 52 William Bolitho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) ## More Can do quotes > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) Browse all 5,673 Can do quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most important thing in life is not to capitalize on your successes-any fool can do that. 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