“It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies; but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.”

— J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)

About J.K. Rowling

Born 1965

British author of the 'Harry Potter' series, who gave the Harvard commencement address 'The Fringe Benefits of Failure' in 2008.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.”

“Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun.”

“And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”

“Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.”

“Anytus and Melitus may kill me indeed, but hurt me they cannot.”

“For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up when you can't control the outcome.”