“Our business in this world is not to succeed, but to continue to fail, in good spirits.”

— Robert Louis Stevenson, Reflections and Remarks on Human Life, Complete Works, vol. 26

About Robert Louis Stevenson

1850 – 1894

Scottish novelist and essayist, author of "Treasure Island" and "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde".

“To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour.”

“Books are good enough in their own way, but they are a mighty bloodless substitute for life.”

“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.”

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.”

“Prosperity is the best protector of principle.”

“Ambition has its disappointments to sour us, but never the good fortune to satisfy us.”

“The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.”

“The long, dull monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or middle-aged adversity are excellent campaigning weather.”

“In all things success depends on previous preparation, and without such previous preparation there is sure to be failure.”