Alain de Botton examines our ideas of success and failure — and questions the assumptions underlying these two judgments. Is success always earned? Is failure? He makes an eloquent, witty case to move beyond snobbery to find true pleasure in our work.
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The Living Room 
Looks at the notion of “being a success” from various viewpoints. This notion of being a success is based on a shifting, kaleidoscopic heap of images which merge together and diverge again. Yesterday’s “success” is today’s “failure”, as we’ve witnessed many times recently. But above all, a human being cannot BE a success – it is only actions or attempts which can be successful. And there the word shrinks back into its normal function.
As Eckhart’s teaching makes clear, this whole notion is groundless.