Dont Be Afraid To Give Up

An attributed remark that circulates widely but has not been traced to a specific Rockefeller letter, speech, or publication. It resonates with his documented philosophy — expressed throughout Random Reminiscences of Men and Events (1909) — that the pursuit of excellence and focus are more important than the mere avoidance of failure. The sentiment is consistent with his business practice: Rockefeller repeatedly declined smaller, safer opportunities in the early oil industry to make concentrated bets on vertical integration and scale that ultimately built Standard Oil into the largest corporation in American history.