Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not.

The remark contrasts society’s tendency to celebrate visible winners with its relative neglect of those still struggling. It implies that praise often follows achievement, while encouragement—arguably more useful—arrives too late or not at all. Read as a critique of status-driven attention, it also gestures toward a healthier culture of learning: failure and unfinished effort are common, and timely support can change outcomes more than retrospective applause. In a broader sense, the quote advocates shifting social energy from rewarding results to sustaining perseverance, especially for people whose work is not yet publicly validated.