It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.

The quote reframes failure as a temporary condition rather than a final verdict. Being “knocked down” stands for defeat, error, or hardship—events that can happen to anyone—while “getting up” represents perseverance, self-command, and the willingness to re-engage after disappointment. Its moral emphasis is on agency: what matters is not the occurrence of adversity but the decision to continue. In a Lombardi context, it also implies a competitive ethic—resilience as a trainable habit and a standard by which individuals and teams measure themselves. The aphorism endures because it applies beyond athletics to work, relationships, and recovery from personal setbacks.

1) “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”
2) “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.”
3) “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get back up.”