About success and failure

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Michaela

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.

About Michaela

I am a wanderer and a wonderer, like you are. I love our journey and to walk in the company of friends – to learn, experience, share, laugh, cry and above all I simply love this marvelous, magical, mysterious life. I have no plan (cannot believe I am saying this) and my only intention is to be truthful to myself and others.

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1 Response to About success and failure

johanna11 says:

July 18, 2011 at 7:39 am

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.

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