"I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure-which is: Try to please everybody."

While the definition of failure is subjective, it is true that some things don’t work out. And there are a lot of reasons why they don’t work out. This quote, by the iconic journalist Herbert Bayard Swope, describes one of them as trying to please everyone.

Sometimes, it’s just impossible to make everyone happy.

We can absolutely try our best to do so. But there’s a certain point where trying to please everyone can paralyze you and nothing gets accomplished. It can also force you to reduce things to a level that is the most acceptable by everyone. However, as a result, you may compromise on what you envisioned, and your goal becomes less than its full potential. So whether nothing gets accomplished or your goal is not quite where it could have been, consider whether trying to please everyone might be a contributing factor.