Most people silently fear failure almost more than anything else, so much so that it keeps them from actually trying. Michael Jordan drew an even sharper line. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying,” he wrote. This is one of his most quoted lines, and it holds significance because it came from a man who missed more shots than most players. Widely considered the best to ever play basketball, Jordan built this reputation over a career that included far more failures than the typical highlight reels that come along, which actually makes the distinction he draws in this quote worth taking seriously rather than treating it as a nice-sounding slogan.
Quote of the Day by Michael Jordan
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something or the other. But I can’t accept not trying.”
What is the meaning behind Michael Jordan’s quote?
The first part of the quote acknowledges something that most people struggle to accept. Failure is normal. No one succeeds every time, in sports, work or anything worth attempting. Jordan is not being falsely modest here. He actually views failure as a normal part of the process rather than a personal fault.The second part is where the actual load sits. “But I can’t accept not trying” separates two different things, losing after making an actual effort, and never attempting something because of fear. Jordan is arguing that only the other is truly in control of anyone, and only the other is worth blaming.
Why does Jordan’s own career fully support this?
Jordan’s resume includes six NBA championships and five Most Valuable Player awards, but the story behind it has more failure than most people remember. As a sophomore at Laney High School, he was removed from the varsity basketball roster and instead assigned to the junior varsity team. He describes going home and crying about it, then spending the entire summer training harder than anyone else around him. By his junior year he was averaging over 25 points per game, and by his senior year he was a McDonald’s All-American.This series of failures despite tireless hard work continued throughout his professional career. He himself has said that he missed over 9,000 shots, lost nearly three hundred games, and missed 26 potential game-winning shots that were relied upon to take him. None of this, by most measures, has stopped him from becoming one of the best to ever play the game.
The biggest obstacle is often the fear of beginning
Too many opportunities for failure disappear long before they have a chance. People shy away from applying for a job, starting a business, or doing anything ambitious because they’ve already imagined the worst outcome.Jordan’s quote shows where the real risk lies. The danger is not decreasing. It was never known what might have happened because the attempt had never been made before. Trying doesn’t guarantee success, but it’s the only thing that makes success possible.
Every failure brings an opportunity for improvement
Failure feels final in that moment, whether it’s a missed shot, a rejected application or a disappointing result. Taking a longer view, most of those moments become information rather than judgment.Jordan treated missed shots and lost games the same way. Each revealed something worth improving on rather than being embarrassed by. His habit of using failure as feedback rather than evidence of inadequacy set his career apart from others.
Other Inspirational Quotes from Michael Jordan
- “I have failed again and again in my life. And that’s why I succeed.”
- “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
- “Some people want it to happen, some want it to happen, others make it happen.”
- “My father used to say that it’s never too late to do what you want to do. And he used to say that you never know what you can achieve until you try.”
Why does this message still persist?
Modern life flaunts its successes while silently hiding the failures it faces. The highlight reel doesn’t show rejected applications or years of preparation behind a big result, which leads many to believe that successful people rarely struggle.Jordan’s quote directly pushes back that notion. Failure is not proof that a person was no good. This is usually evidence that they were willing to try something with the real possibility of it not working. The difference between an honest attempt that failed and an opportunity given up because of fear is really the whole point behind the quote, on the basketball court or anywhere else.