i-TFTD #235: On Persistence

#235-1. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.
-W C Fields

#235-2. If at first you do succeed -- try to hide your astonishment.
-Harry Banks

#235-3. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
-Bill Gates

_____
It is an interesting creative exercise to make variations of well-known proverbs. The first two are practical observations on knowing when to "cut your losses" and move on, and how we sometimes expect to fail at a first attempt.

Competition is a fact in most aspects of life and who better to point it out than one of the most hyper-competitive icons of our time? We like it and accept it when we are positioned to win, we despise it when we lose. If the energy spent in complaining and criticizing is instead channelized into understanding the factors that lead to success...