Can Success Come Too Quickly?

"The worst thing that can happen to a man is that he succeed too quickly."

~Author Unknown

What do you think of this quote? True, false? 

We are studying the life of Joseph in church and this quote came up in the sermon yesterday. But it can apply to the writing life, too.

• We all know getting published often takes years (and years and years and years).
• What if someone had published your first book? You know, that piece of crap you have hidden under your bed, the one you take out occasionally to giggle at. Are you ever glad that first book wasn't published? 
• And if it had been published, would your second book have been equally crappy because you didn't have to try very hard with the first one? 
• What would your sales have looked like with the first book? Would those sales kill you mid-career? Would your projects be immediately dismissed because you don't have the advantage of being a debut novelist with no track record? Instead, you're a published author with a poor track record. 

Maybe I'm being harsh, but the point is, there's a time for everything. Even a time for being published. There are worse things than a rejection from an agent. Premature success could be one of them.

My goal is to put out something great and lasting, not simply to publish a book. For me, yes, success could come too quickly. Call it lack of confidence (which it may be), but I don't consider myself a good judge of when I'm ready. I'm just trying my best and taking what comes.

Thoughts?