Achievement is the death of endeavor and the birth of disgust.

What is any achievement, however great it was, once time itself is dead?

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.

To win without risk is to triumph without glory.

Extraordinary achievement is less about talent than it is about opportunity.

…notoriety is not real glory.

Ability without honor is useless.

Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.

Nakedness has no color: this can come as news only to those who have never covered, or been covered by, another naked human being.

A vaincre sans peril, on triomphe sans gloire-

To win without risk is a triumph without glory

An unfulfilled vocation drains the color from a man's entire existence.

My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that 'achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that's nice, too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.

Difference for the sake of difference is as empty an achievement as slavishly following the commercial imperative. Write only what you believe.

Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Require sorest need.

Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag to-day
Can tell the definition,
So clear, of victory,

As he, defeated, dying,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Break, agonized and clear.