You know, I was re-reading some Napoleon Hill recently, and his line “Success requires no explanations. Failure permits no alibis” just hits differently when you’ve been in the trenches. It’s one of those truths that stings because it’s so brutally simple.
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Meaning
At its core, this is about radical ownership. Success is self-evident, and failure has no valid excuses.
Explanation
Let’s break this down. The first part, “Success requires no explanations,” is about the undeniable nature of real achievement. When you hit a big goal, the results speak for themselves. You don’t need a press release or a long story. The outcome is the story.
But the second part is the kicker. “Failure permits no alibis.” This is where most people get stuck. We have this incredible, almost reflexive, talent for creating narratives for why things *didn’t* happen. The market was bad. The timing was off. My team didn’t deliver. Hill is saying, cut it out. The market, the timing, your team—they are all part of the game. And the game doesn’t care about your reasons. It only cares about the scoreboard. It forces you to ask one critical question: What could *I* have done differently to change the outcome?
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Success (341) |
| Topics | accountability (30), failure (52), success general (86) |
| Literary Style | concise (408) |
| Emotion / Mood | determined (116) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This comes straight from Napoleon Hill’s 1928 foundational work, The Law of Success, published in the United States. You’ll sometimes see it misattributed to other motivational figures, but its home is right there in Hill’s original curriculum. It’s the real deal.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Napoleon Hill (84) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Law of Success (47) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (530) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) wrote influential books on achievement and personal philosophy. After interviewing industrialist Andrew Carnegie, he spent years studying the habits of top performers, which led to The Law of Success and the classic Think and Grow Rich. Hill taught and lectured widely, promoting ideas like the Master Mind, definite purpose, and persistence. He collaborated with W. Clement Stone and helped launch the Napoleon Hill Foundation to preserve and extend his teachings. His work continues to shape self-help, entrepreneurship, and success literature.
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Success requires no explanations. Failure permits no alibis |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 1928; ISBN: 978-1-956134-21-1; Latest Edition: 2021, 1104 pages. |
| Where is it? | Lesson 14: Failure, Approximate page from 2021 edition: 630 |