Q0228
“It is possible to fail in many ways…but to succeed in only…” — Aristotle (Nicomachean Ethics II.6)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Nicomachean Ethics II.6. Theme: meaning.
English
It is possible to fail in many ways…but to succeed in only one.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Nicomachean Ethics II.6 and files it under Peripatetic School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Aristotle
Aristotle (384–322 BCE) was a Greek philosopher born in Stagira in Macedonia, the son of a court physician. At about seventeen he entered Plato’s Academy in Athens and remained associated with it until Plato’s death in 347.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Viktor Frankl and Ludwig Wittgenstein), meaning is framed through Logotherapy and Analytic Philosophy. Some passages define meaning; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through meaning, virtue, choice.
Concepts in this quote
- Meaning
- Meaning appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat meaning as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Virtue
- Virtue names excellences of character—habits of perception and action oriented toward the good.
- Choice
- Choice is the hinge of agency: selecting among options under reasons, constraints, and uncertainty.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Aristotle. (n.d.). It is possible to fail in many ways…but to succeed in only one. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0228
MLA: Aristotle. “It is possible to fail in many ways…but….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0228.
Chicago: Aristotle. “It is possible to fail in many ways…but….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0228.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “It is possible to fail in many ways…but…”?
The passage is attributed to Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics II.6. The archive attributes this English wording to Nicomachean Ethics II.6 and files it under Peripatetic School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Aristotle mean by meaning?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Viktor Frankl and Ludwig Wittgenstein), meaning is framed through Logotherapy and Analytic Philosophy. Some passages define meaning; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through meaning, virtue, choice.