Carolina Quotes
Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of wisdom, if you listen. Every blunder behind us is giving a cheer for us, and only for those who were willing to fail are the dangers and splendors of life. To be a good loser is to learn how to win. I was sure there are ten men in me and I do not know or understand one of them. I could safely declare, I am an idealist. A Parisian cynic says "I believe in nothing. I am looking for clues." My statement would be : I believe in everything — I am only looking for proofs.

Carl Sandburg Connected to the Carolinas

Source

Incidentals (1904); this is sometimes paraphrased: "I am an idealist. I believe in everything — I am only looking for proofs."

year
1904

Cite this record

“Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of…” Carl Sandburg. Carolina Quotes, record CQ-CD6152C95A. https://carolinaquotes.com/quote/cd6152c95a

More from Carl Sandburg

The greatest cunning is to have none at all.
This line appears in section 94 of "The People, Yes" (1936), but that section contains many common proverbs and expressions not original to Sandburg which he is merely quoting within the poem, including this one.

misattributed

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