Well first of all it's a business and it's a tough business, and

Robert Redford’s words, “Well first of all it’s a business and it’s a tough business, and you have to have the strength to survive all the setbacks, all the failures that make this a mean business, that’s getting meaner and meaner every year in my opinion,” resound like the counsel of an elder who has endured the fire and now speaks from scars, not illusions. He reminds us that the world of labor and ambition, especially in fields as ruthless as entertainment, is not a dreamland of glory but a battleground. To walk within it requires not only talent, but the unyielding strength to endure defeat after defeat without surrendering the heart.

The origin of this truth comes from Redford’s own long pilgrimage through the demanding terrain of film and art. Though remembered as one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, he too was tested by rejection, struggle, and disappointment. His reflection is a reminder that even the most shining stars did not ascend without first being bruised by countless failures. He names the reality that many try to hide: behind every triumph lies a long trail of setbacks, and only those with iron resolve survive the harshness of such a business.

This lesson is not confined to Hollywood. It echoes in the lives of countless visionaries. Consider the story of Thomas Edison, who, when striving to perfect the lightbulb, endured more than a thousand failed experiments. The world might have called these failures, but Edison called them steps forward. Had he not possessed the strength to rise after each collapse, the gift of electric light might never have come. His life teaches what Redford declares: in every arena that grows tougher by the year, survival belongs not to the most gifted, but to the most enduring.

We see this also in the journey of Abraham Lincoln. Before becoming one of history’s greatest leaders, he knew only loss: failed businesses, repeated defeats in elections, and personal heartbreak. Yet he did not surrender. Through these bitter setbacks, his strength was forged. By the time destiny placed the weight of a fractured nation upon his shoulders, he was a man tempered like steel, ready to bear trials that would have crushed a weaker spirit. His life reveals that survival through hardship builds the capacity to transform history itself.

Redford’s words also unveil the darker reality of modern times: that the world often grows harsher, not kinder, with each passing year. Competition grows sharper, judgment harsher, and opportunities fewer. This is the “meaner and meaner” nature of the business he speaks of, a truth that applies not only to art but to all walks of life. To endure, one must be prepared not for ease, but for resistance.

Yet within this sobering truth lies hope. For those who cultivate resilience, who do not crumble at the first wound, who see failure not as the end but as part of the path, there is a hidden reward. Such souls discover that endurance itself is a form of victory. They become unshakable, for they no longer fear defeat. In learning to survive, they become capable of greatness beyond what ease could have given them.

The lesson for us is clear: expect hardship, and prepare your spirit accordingly. Do not wait for a smooth path, for there is none. Train yourself to meet setbacks with patience, to face failures with determination, and to let each blow strengthen rather than weaken you. Surround yourself with discipline, faith, and vision, and you will find yourself still standing when others fall away.

Thus, let this wisdom be passed to future generations: the world is often a mean business, and it grows no gentler with time. Yet those who endure with courage, who draw strength from failure rather than despair, will find themselves not only survivors, but victors. For life’s true glory is not in never falling, but in rising again and again until the struggle itself has shaped you into greatness.