Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius
MEANING OF THIS QUOTE
Failure is an inevitable, almost essential, obstruction en route to success. Even the most successful of men have, at some point in their lives, encountered setbacks and challenges. Their resilience is what truly sets them apart from the majority-far from letting their failures demoralize them, they have the mental make-up to bounce back in style.
ISN’T CONFUCIUS GUILTY OF GLORIFYING FAILURE HERE?
Absolutely not. All this quote aims to drive home is the inevitability of failure and the value of human perseverance. The true measure of a person’s ability doesn’t lie in their ability to avoid failure, but in their ability to recover from it. This act of getting back up is critical to success, for every worthwhile endeavor entails its fair share of setbacks and hardships. Most of us give up as a result of these hindrances, while very few people actually keep at it, drawing the right lessons from such setbacks. These lessons help them course-correct and grow as persons, eventually helping them go above and beyond in the pursuit of their goals.
FAILURE AS AN OPPORTUNITY
Success will prove evasive as long as we dread failures and keep making them an excuse for quitting. On the contrary, people with a positive mindset actually view failures as an opportunity to learn and grow. In fact, for them failures are nothing but valuable experiences to do things better.
CONCLUSION
Our greatest glory is not in having an impeccable record, but in picking ourselves back up after every defeat. Instead of hoping for a smooth road to success, we should wish for the strength to overcome the obstacles that lie along the way. These roadblocks not only aid our personal growth, but also often leave us with priceless life lessons.
Confucius was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period. Traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages, Confucius was known for his practical views on life. One of his well-known motivational quotes is as follows: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”