Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.

The aphorism treats failure not as the opposite of success but as the element that makes success perceptible and meaningful—like seasoning that heightens taste. It suggests that setbacks supply contrast, humility, and hard-won knowledge, so achievement feels richer because it has been tested. The metaphor also implies that a life or career without reversals may produce a blander, less textured form of “success,” lacking depth or perspective. Read this way, the line functions as a compact argument for resilience: disappointment can be metabolized into insight, and the memory of struggle can intensify gratitude and satisfaction when goals are finally met.