"If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously"
About this Quote
“Fail gloriously” is a dare disguised as permission. Coming from Cate Blanchett - an actor whose public image is all poise and precision - the line lands as a small act of sabotage against the culture of pre-emptive self-protection. If failure is inevitable, she suggests, don’t spend your remaining energy trying to shrink it. Make it loud, committed, unmistakably yours.
The intent is practical, almost professional. Acting is a job where rejection is routine and the “right” choice is often only obvious in hindsight. Blanchett’s phrase reads like rehearsal-room wisdom: take the big swing, because timid choices don’t reduce risk; they just guarantee mediocrity. “Gloriously” reframes failure as evidence of effort, taste, and nerve - a kind of aesthetic standard applied to losing. It’s not motivational-poster optimism; it’s craft talk with a wink.
The subtext is also about control. You may not control outcomes, but you can control the style of your attempt: the clarity of your intention, the boldness of your decisions, the refusal to apologize mid-action. In a moment when personal brands are curated to look effortlessly correct, “fail gloriously” rejects the algorithmic instinct to be inoffensive and reversible. It advocates for the messy, human version of ambition: sincere enough to risk embarrassment, disciplined enough to fail with conviction.
The intent is practical, almost professional. Acting is a job where rejection is routine and the “right” choice is often only obvious in hindsight. Blanchett’s phrase reads like rehearsal-room wisdom: take the big swing, because timid choices don’t reduce risk; they just guarantee mediocrity. “Gloriously” reframes failure as evidence of effort, taste, and nerve - a kind of aesthetic standard applied to losing. It’s not motivational-poster optimism; it’s craft talk with a wink.
The subtext is also about control. You may not control outcomes, but you can control the style of your attempt: the clarity of your intention, the boldness of your decisions, the refusal to apologize mid-action. In a moment when personal brands are curated to look effortlessly correct, “fail gloriously” rejects the algorithmic instinct to be inoffensive and reversible. It advocates for the messy, human version of ambition: sincere enough to risk embarrassment, disciplined enough to fail with conviction.
Quote Details
| Topic | Failure |
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