Success Quote by Lily Tomlin

Tomlin takes a syrupy self-help cliche ("failure is opportunity") and flips it into something closer to streetwise comedy: yes, opportunities matter, but so does the fine print. The first line speaks in the language of ambition culture, the relentless treadmill of networking, hustling, saying yes. Then she drops the trapdoor. "Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed" turns opportunity from a shining prize into a potentially disastrous invitation - the job that looked glamorous, the gig that came with a toxic boss, the relationship that read like destiny until it read like a warning label.

The intent is reassurance, but not the cheesy kind. Tomlin isn't telling you to stop trying; she's telling you to stop worshipping. The subtext is that "missing out" is often just another name for good judgment. In a culture that treats hesitation as weakness and regret as proof you didn't want it badly enough, she offers permission to be selective, even skeptical.

As an actress and comedian who built a career puncturing social scripts, Tomlin knows how "opportunity" gets used as leverage: take the deal, be grateful, don't complain. The joke carries a pragmatic feminist edge too - especially for people taught to accept whatever opening appears, because another one might not come. Her line reclaims agency: sometimes the win isn't grabbing the chance; it's dodging the mess it would have become.