Bill Cosby Quotes: Quote of the day by Bill Cosby: ‘I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody’, a lesson from the ‘I, Spy’ star on how important it is to live for yourself | English Movie News
Bill Cosby’s words of wisdom, in balance with his comedic prowess, are remembered to date. Today’s quote is all about understanding that success does not come easily, though one thing that you can make sure not to do is become someone who lives their lives for other people’s liking and happiness, rather than for yourself.Over the years, Bill Cosby has attributed this quote in multiple interviews, including an old interview from the 1970s. The quote is also attributed to him in the book titled ‘The Book of Quotes’ by Barbara Rowe.The quote of the day by Bill Cosby reads: “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
What the quote from Bill Cosby means
While talking to Ebony Magazine, the actor and beloved comedian wanted to convey with this quote that while there may be no concrete plan to achieving success, there are still things that you can do in order to avoid failure. He specifically says that trying to please everyone and keep everyone happy, even at the cost of your own well-being and happiness, is something that can guarantee failure.When you try to keep everyone happy, you end up stripping away everything unique about your work, vision, or personal life. Changing your decisions to avoid offending anyone leads to a diluted personality that appeals to no one at the end of the day.It is important that you understand that living your life according to other people and what they want and need is never going to help you in the longer run, however, it can cause quite a lot of hindrance in your own path towards what you want in life.
About Bill Cosby’s early life
William Henry Cosby Jr. was born on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother used to work as a maid, while his father was a US Navy cook and welder. He had humble beginnings in his life and was the eldest of four sons. During his early, the family used to live in a housing project in North Philadelphia, and to help his family with expenses, Cosby started taking up jobs from an early age.
Bill Cosby came from humble beginnings; however, at the height of his career, he became one of the most revered names in the entertainment industry. (Instagram)
He used to work in a shoe repair shop after he dropped out of high school and later enlisted in the army as a hospital corpsman. He worked there for around four years and worked with injured Korean war veterans. His start in the world of comedy came when he was studying at Temple. While studying, he opted for night shifts at a local bar, where he would perform random jokes and skits on stage for people. Eventually, he dropped out of college and started booking gigs for Philadelphia’s Underground Club.Later on, he stepped into the world of entertainment, and for over five decades, he appeared in all kinds of TV shows and films. While he acted in quite a lot of projects, his own sitcom show, ‘The Bill Cosby Show,’ garnered him the love of thousands of people across the globe. He also starred in ‘I, Spy’, ‘Unknown Saturday Night’, ‘A Piece of Action’, ‘Let’s Do It Again’, nd ‘California Suite.’Over the course of his career, he has also helped set up the path to success for minorities in the industry. With his leading drama roles, he became the first Black actor in the world to win an Emmy Award. Throughout his career, he won three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
