Should it fail

Perhaps this is the crucial feeling behind the solace which the book promises; that even when failure never transcends itself and becomes success, it does not mean that the life it belongs to is itself a failure.

Or perhaps that even when a life is a failure, it is not a wasted life — for there can be no such thing as a wasted life, the very incidence of life in each case being unlikely and basically miraculous. Recounting failure is a rewarding method of narrative, and Day is a sensitive and intelligent interviewer. Peppered throughout are context-free and often maddeningly banal quotes. Who could be moved by that? What new thought could be provoked? Day is aware of her own privilege as a middle-class, educated white woman and references these facts, but still it is not very edifying to read about her experiences of imposter syndrome as related to selling out the National Theatre for an onstage event.

She goes on to reflect on the fact it was failure itself which allowed her to reach a pinnacle like this, by rendering her vulnerable and open to connection.

It feels a little spiteful to criticise a book like Failosophy , because if it does, indeed, help some people to view their lives a little more optimistically then what does it really matter if I find its approach crass and dishonest. But, actually, I think it does matter — I think that ordinary failures, the ones that happen to people without public platforms and MBEs, are of a different nature than the ones we are pushed to hear about so often nowadays.

How can we ignore the immutable fact that some people fail and go on failing, that their lives never recover or never get going in the first place, that there are so many in a hell of their own making or one made by cruel circumstance? Failure, even when it is not a tragedy, is often the extinguishing of a possible life we may have led, and that is not a reconcilable loss.

It may not be very productive to think about those failures, or very pleasant, but what is a consideration of failure without them? Are we to suppose they would have all come good if they had read some inspiring quotes and books? This article appears in the 18 Nov issue of the New Statesman, Vaccine nation. Coming to you daily during COP The NS team Sign up here. Green Times A weekly round-up of The New Statesman's climate, environment and sustainability content.

Content from our partners How has stroke treatment been affected by Covid? The author has insight into the human condition. Recommended if you like "the arts", as it ranges from the Greek myths to Arthur Miller to musical theatre flops.

Sep 04, Tanya rated it really liked it. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.. Overall a very good read, and the chapter names were entertaining as well. It was a good look at why we feel like failures from time to time and how to make adjustment to our ways of thinking. In this day and age of many feeling the Imposter Syndrome, this is a very good read.

Dec 24, Maria Boghiu rated it it was amazing. The best books don't give you so much new information, as they help you get in touch with a particular state of mind, which is to say a way of feeling about the world.

So if you're looking to feel at peace with the world, ready to take a break from the perpetual human complaint of not having been given a wide enough horizon, this book will help. Oct 03, Lucky rated it really liked it. Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the review copy of this book. I really enjoyed reading it. Joe Moran takes a look at the concept of failure by using a range of modern day and historical examples, including from philosophy, literature, the arts, sport, and more.

It's well-written, engaging, and gave plenty of food for thought. Aug 05, Chel rated it it was amazing. This is a great book that is really a reminder of the importance of resilience in our career management and endeavours we undertake.

Too often people don't give something a go because they're worried about failure. This book is inspiring in its temptation to give it a go. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Apr 26, Ian Pierce-Hayes rated it it was amazing. A really interesting and entertaining read that looks at all sorts of failure and what we mean and measure by very exacting standards. And why most of us feel like failures.

Jun 14, Jonathan Fang rated it it was ok. Feb 08, szymborskalyte rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction-popular. Refreshingly aversive to cliche. One of those balmy reads for the soul. Jan 15, Zeppo rated it it was amazing. Fail again Even that quote is a lie pushing the try try again mantra onto us all with the subtle delusion that if we just fail enough times we will become successes.

What about those that don't? Those who remain bitter failures due to personal defects until their sad demises? This book has those stories too. Though ultimately the message is a hopeful one that it's better to be a failure than a nothing and that in trying we at least did something. That's about all we can hope Fail again That's about all we can hope for ourselves. Not for everyone! Nov 16, Kedijik rated it it was amazing.

One of the most interesting books I have read in quite some time. It makes no excuses for failure or dresses it up in any way. At times it seems to be almost wallowing in self pity but the train of thought straightens itself to somewhere far less self indulgent and worth seeing. Still, the book's tone is infinitely clearer when it is talking about things it is against meritocracy, verificationism, commercialised pop-psych etc. I wonder if for any one thing I failed at I would find solace in this book.

It is designated to soothe more of the experiences in life i haven't even started in off chance that i would fail or worse succeed in in a bout of perfectionism. So on the whole, despite being very very interesting and definitely worth the reading time, it did leave me feeling like I have been had.

It is a book about failure written for people who don't consider themselves failures and live only half-lives in the fear of ever possibly becoming one. Rebecca Taft rated it really liked it Apr 04, Annie Ho rated it really liked it Apr 26, Anna rated it liked it Dec 12, Serena rated it liked it Sep 20, Heng-cheong Leong rated it it was amazing Feb 23, Joseph Griffiths rated it really liked it Dec 14, Shalmali rated it it was amazing Apr 19, These cookies may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages.

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