Literary notes about Failure (AI summary)
In literature, "failure" emerges as a multifaceted term, serving to denote not only setbacks but also deeper reflections on human effort and systemic flaws. Authors use the word to illustrate how a single misstep might dampen future endeavors or reveal the inherent limitations of human nature, as seen when early failure undermines later energy [1] and when personal defeat shapes one’s self-perception [2]. At the same time, failure appears in contexts ranging from physical malfunction, such as heart failure [3], to broader critiques of societal and institutional shortcomings, for instance in political or scientific ambitions [4, 5]. This diverse application enriches narratives by highlighting that failure is not merely an endpoint but often a complex, transformative moment that can spur renewed determination [6, 7].
- Failure at first is apt to dampen the energy of all future attempts, whereas past experience of success nerves one to future vigor.
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James - When I had time to reflect upon the matter, I came to the conclusion that as a sportsman I was a failure, and went back to the house.
— from Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Complete by Ulysses S. Grant - "I read a notice of Mrs. Pitman's death—from heart failure—in the Enterprise a few weeks ago.
— from Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery - The failure of the scientific scheme, without money to back it, was flagrant.
— from The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams - In France the failure to impose taxation is notorious.
— from The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes - Still the strange enthusiast was not wholly discouraged, and his failure in one trial only made him the more anxious to attempt another.
— from Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay - Try this experiment the very next time you get discouraged or think that you are a failure, that your work does not amount to much—turn about face.
— from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden
