Original artwork, not a still
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Capote turns failure into seasoning: on its own it is unpleasant, but without it success tastes of nothing. The cooking image is what makes it stick, and it is why the line is a staple of graduation cards and startup slides. Coming from a writer who knew both spectacular success and public flameouts, it reads as earned rather than glib.
Context reviewed
In context
May contain spoilersShow the scene
Truman Capote, the author of Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood, is credited with this line in a piece Wikiquote lists as "Self-Portrait" (1972). It is a genuine Capote quotation rather than a misattribution, though it circulates mostly as a free-floating motivational line with no context. By 1972 he was long past the huge success of In Cold Blood (1966) and a fixture of talk shows and gossip columns. We could not trace which publication carried the 1972 self-portrait, so the venue is not stated here.
Sources (1)
- Wikiquote: Truman CapoteQuotes section, entry sourced to "Self-Portrait" (1972)Reference checked
Context reviewed
