Mary Tyler Moore quotes
1936 – 2017 · United States, 20th century · Actress, producer and social advocate
About Mary Tyler Moore
Born in Brooklyn in 1936, Mary Tyler Moore rose to fame on The Dick Van Dyke Show and starred in and produced The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She was active as a public advocate and was known for a public persona that emphasized resilience and self‑reliance. She died in Greenburgh, New York, in 2017.
Works: The Dick Van Dyke Show; The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Quotes
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”
Source: Interview in McCall's, 1980 · Check the source
Disputed attribution What we know
- What is documented
- Most evidence points to a 1980 McCall's interview in which Moore is quoted saying lines like “Pain nourishes my courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”
- What remains uncertain
- While the sentiment is well documented, the exact full phrasing widely circulated comes from later quote collections and databases, so the precise wording is partly disputed.
The quote says growth comes by risking, erring and enduring pain that strengthens courage. It matches Mary Tyler Moore's public stance on resilience and self-reliance. The core lines trace back to a 1980 McCall's interview, though the exact wording is preserved mostly in later quote collections.