Question

[Multi-Billionaire]

Can someone help me explain this in plain english...

 

"Success requires no apologies, failure permits no alibis"

 

 

It spins my head... wtf does it mean?

 

Taken from Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich"... very good book I'd recommend it for anyone. The "Rich" does not necessarily mean money but it can be money rich, spirit rich, happiness rich, or whatever you define "rich" is...

 

 

But if someone can help me with this quote, it would be great... pls explain in the simplest english

[SRV]

I think it means don't apologize to other people when you are successful, and don't make excuses if you are a failure...thats what I picked up from it lol

 

Basically, be proud of your success and don't make excuses for yourself if you are doing bad in life.

Edited July 25, 2010 by SRV

[Multi-Billionaire]

^Interesting it sounds like that's what it means... anyone else has a different interpretation?

[Real Deal]

There's more to it than translation. It relates to someone seeking success, no matter the defeat. Basically, you can run into what Hill describes as temporary defeat, but behind that defeat lies greater success.

 

So, yes...no apologies for what you believe to be right. If your way of seeking happiness is morally correct, you've done nothing wrong and have nothing to apologize for once you achieve it. Failure is only temporary if you accept defeat.

[Multi-Billionaire]

^Hey I think you nailed it... you genius SOB Kobe lover lol!!!

 

 

 

This is the quote from the book:

 

Let us not forget, Columbus dreamed of an Unknown world, staked his life on the existence of such world, and discovered it!

 

Copernicus, the great astronomer, dreamed of the multiplicity of worlds and revealed them! No one denounced him as "impractical" after he had triumphed. Instead, the world worshipped at his shrine, thus proving once more that "SUCCESS REQUIRES NO APOLOGIES, FAILURE PERMITS NO ALIBIS."

 

If the thing you wish to do is right, and you believe in it, go ahead and do it! Put your dream across, and never mind what "they" say if you meet with temporary defeat, for "they", perhaps, do not know that EVERY FAILURE BRINGS WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT SUCCESS.

 

 

So... I see that:

- "Success requires no apologies" means: no apologies for what you believe to be right. If your way of seeking happiness is morally correct, you've done nothing wrong and have nothing to apologize for once you achieve it.

 

- "Failure permits no alibis" means: ???

 

 

Failure is only temporary if you accept defeat.

 

What do you mean by this? ?? Did you mean to write "failure is only temporary UNLESS you accept defeat"??

 

 

Thanks

Edited July 25, 2010 by Snake

[Real Deal]

"Failure permits no alibis" is actually worded incorrectly. Maybe intentionally.

 

To get straight to the point, failure allows no alibis.

 

It can mean that you do not need an explanation for your failure...or it could mean that there are no excuses for failure. You can sort of translate it the same way, really...because while you should do everything in your power to achieve success (and never stop until you do), you have no excuse for your failure. The explanation is simply because you accepted defeat.

 

Did you mean to write "failure is only temporary UNLESS you accept defeat"??

Yes, sorry about that.

[Multi-Billionaire]

^Perfect... thanks now I think I really understand.

 

You should do everything in your power to achieve success and the key is to never stop until you do. Failure only comes because you stop and accept defeat, which is no excuse because to keep going or to stop is totally your choice and is totally under your control. You have no excuse for your failures but yourself because if you fail that means you choose to stop.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Snake

[Flight]

Just to reword it to how I view it (very much like SRV and Brandon said as a combination, but it might provoke more though):

 

Success, in either a material, emotional, mental state, or otherwise is all judged by you and yourself only. Nobody can make you happy if you don't let them, and at the same time nothing can ruin your happiness unless you let it. In a monetary sense, everyone has their own sense of rich. I'm not talking about a dollar value, but rather a certain lifestyle they feel they can live and at which point they feel like they're rich, in other words they don't need anything else. This value is constantly changing, but it is for the most part around a certain point for a while. So if the success requires no apologies, to me it's saying that you are the only one that can make you successful. If you are the GM of the Russell-Era Celtics, and you win 10 of 11 NBA Titles, you still might not be successful if you don't think you are. So basically once you decide you are a success, you don't have to apologize to anyone for; what you've done, what you did to get where you are, what you may not have done but still feel good about yourself, etc. To me that last part is the biggest... Even if you have faults (which everyone will obviously), don't apologize for them if you think you've been successful in whatever facet of life you're reflecting on.

 

Now to mirror that, it's a similar message (but the flipside), although he takes an interesting stance in saying that rather than "failure accepts no alibis" or something of that nature, but by saying it doesn't "require" an alibi.

 

By that token I think that the message is simple. If you fail at something (by this wording I'm assuming that he thinks you should at least try your best at things... I doubt he targets people that don't try to succeed in whatever they are reading this book for), you at least gave your best, so don't come up with excuses or lies. Accept that you didn't get it done, but you did something admirable. You tried. At the same time, it says to never give up on whatever your target is, whether it's as simple as wanting to buy a car in the future, or as challenging as a lifelong dream of any sort. Effort doesn't require an alibi.

 

 

 

In Lamens terms, this is what I get out of it directly.

 

 

Success is what you make it; effort deserves no apologies, and requries no excuses.

Edited July 26, 2010 by David Stern