proverb · Words worth keeping
Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying treats success and failure as stages rather than final verdicts. It gives courage to continue greater importance than either result.
What the words are saying
Not final and not fatal resist complete conclusions, while counts supplies the speaker’s value judgment. A qualified application can encourage a next step without denying serious consequences. Continuing may involve changing an aim or seeking support rather than repeating the same effort indefinitely.
Everyday example
Someone reviews a setback and chooses a revised, feasible next step instead of treating it as their whole identity.
When to use it
Use it to discuss considered continuation after a result.
What it does not mean
Consequences may be serious, and continuing the same course is not always appropriate.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 190; PDF page 31
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.