HST 140 A – FAILURE 101

Spring 2024
Prof. Theresa MacFAIL (MacPhail)
Location & Times:
Section A – Mondays 3-5:30pm
Section B – Tuesdays 3-5:30pm

Office hours:
Thursdays 3-5pm

Course Description: In this course, students will be introduced to the topic of failure
at the individual, social, and institutional levels. We’ll examine the concept of failure
through a variety of different frameworks and disciplinary lenses – historical,
philosophical, cultural, economic, scientific, political, and psychological – paying
attention not only to how failure comes to be defined and delineated, but how failures
are perceived, experienced, and enacted by different social groups in different settings
and in different times. The course aims to normalize failure and provide students with
both a conceptual and practical toolkit for coping with failure. The goal is for students to
develop greater resiliency in the face of failure – both personally and professionally.
By the end of this course students will be able to:
1) Understand the complex history of failure and its relationship to the practice of
science and technology.
2) Understand and apply some of the basic terms and concepts associated with
studies of failure and resiliency.
3) Analyze famous failures using concepts from sociology, anthropology,
philosophy, and the humanities writ large.
4) Think critically about the assumptions and conceptualizations involved in living a
“successful” life.
College of Arts and Letters Objectives
1) Students will demonstrate an awareness of ethical responsibility and the societal
impact of their future professions.
2) Students will demonstrate a fuller understanding of the traditional humanities
and social sciences through an understanding of their relation to the study of
sciences and technology.
3) Students will demonstrate an awareness of cultures and societies other than their
own.
4) Students will demonstrate writing and public speaking skills.
5) Students will demonstrate a love of learning in the liberal arts for its own sake.
6) Students will demonstrate leadership and team skills.

Required texts:
De Waal, Frans. 2006. Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are
Who We Are. Riverhead Books.
Duke, Annie. 2022. Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away. Portfolio Books.
ALL OF IT.
Dweck, Carol. 2016. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books.
Edmondson, Amy. 2023. Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well. Atria
Books.
Firestein, Stuart. 2016. Failure: Why Science Is So Successful. Oxford Press.
Frankl, Victor. 2006. Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.
Gilbert, Daniel. 2006. Stumbling on Happiness. Vintage Books.
Guwande, Atul. 2015. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Picador
Books.
Han, Byung-Chul. 2015. The Burnout Society. Stanford UP. ALL OF IT.
hooks, bell. 2018. All About Love: New Visions. William Morrow. ALL OF IT.
Perrow, Charles. 1999. Normal Accidents: Living With High-Risk Technologies.
Princeton UP.
Schur, Michael. 2022. How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Question.
Quercus Books.
Southwick, Steven et. al. 2023. Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest
Challenges. Cambridge UP
Grading:
There are no letter grades in this class because there are no grades in life. You either
pass (and thus receive an A) or you fail (and thus receive an F). Nothing in the course
will be given a grade. I will assess how much effort you put into each assignment, and
whether it will be counted or not counted as completed on that basis. Some assignments
will intentionally be set up for you to fail to complete them in full, but I expect you to
cope with this as best you can and turn in something. I will not warn you which weeks
are impossible to complete. This is all part of the process. Please check your ideas about
grades as reflections of how well you are doing in life or how much you are learning at
the door to this classroom.
Class Policies:
Discomfort Statement – It is my job as a professor to challenge you to think critically
about your own and others’ assumptions, as well as to learn to synthesize and analyze a
lot of disparate materials on a particular subject. Sometimes the materials and
discussions in this class will make you personally uncomfortable, and that’s okay. To
blatantly steal a quote from philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah, “Our main task in a
seminar room is not to make people feel good, it’s to help people understand things, and
sometimes, in order to understand things, you have to feel not so good.” We are going to
talk about the more negative and scary aspects of life and career in this class, and that
will require you to sit with ideas like death, divorce, and abject failure. I ask that you get
comfortable being uncomfortable.
Attendance Policy – Each student is allowed one unexcused absence. If you’re sick or
have an emergency or are just overwhelmed and need to miss something, send me an
email, or make an appointment to talk to me. If you’re struggling with your workload
this semester, reach out. Please don’t suffer or panic in silence.
Participation policy - It’s challenging to really participate in anything these days,
especially with the added difficulties of virtual distractions and mental health
challenges. In group discussions, of which there will be many, I encourage all of you to
participate to the best of your ability. Please do not censor yourselves because you think
something is “stupid” or may be upsetting to someone else. The bulk of your
participation “grade” will be based on your Discussion Group. Each class, we will begin
our session with student discussions on that day’s themes. You’ll be responsible for
reflecting on the books/videos/podcasts and guiding group discussion for 20-30
minutes of class time. You’ll work in teams and rotate. Don’t spend much time on
rehashing the arguments or examples from the assignments; instead, pull out the main
themes and bits you were interested in personally and as a group and think of good
questions to ask your classmates. This class will be 1000x more interesting if you really
dig into this and take ownership of your weeks.
Personal Inclusivity Statement – I take inclusion and the diversity of ideas and lived
experiences very seriously, both in the design of my syllabi and in overseeing
interactions and discussions in my classroom. I would like this to be a vibrant and
engaged classroom. In order to encourage that I would like to set out some ground rules
for discussions. First, please do not make assumptions about anyone else’s identity or
lived experiences. While we are all experts on our own lives, we are novices when it
comes to the lived experiences of others. Second, please show respect to your classmates
at all times. Do not interrupt, do not talk over, actively listen, come into class with an
open mind, and otherwise actively work to create an inviting space where all voices can
be equally heard. The topics we will cover in this class may at times be sensitive in
nature or difficult to discuss. Please practice open-mindedness and empathy at all times.
Stevens’ Policies:
Undergraduate Honor System – Enrollment into the undergraduate class of Stevens
Institute of Technology signifies a student's commitment to the Honor System.
Accordingly, the provisions of the Stevens Honor System apply to all undergraduate
students in coursework and Honor Board proceedings. It is the responsibility of each
student to become acquainted with and to uphold the ideals set forth in the Honor
System Constitution. More information about the Honor System including the
constitution, bylaws, investigative procedures, and the penalty matrix can be found
online at http://web.stevens.edu/honor/.
The following pledge shall be written in full and signed by every student on all
submitted work (including, but not limited to, homework, projects, lab reports, code,
quizzes, and exams) that is assigned by the course instructor. No work shall be graded
unless the pledge is written in full and signed: “I pledge my honor that I have abided by
the Stevens Honor System.”
Reporting Honor System Violations - Students who believe a violation of the Honor
System has been committed should report it within ten business days of the suspected
violation. Students have the option to remain anonymous and can report violations
online at www.stevens.edu/honor.
Learning Accommodations – Stevens Institute of Technology is dedicated to providing
appropriate accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Student
Counseling and Disability Services works with undergraduate and graduate students
with learning disabilities, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorders, physical disabilities,
sensory impairments, and psychiatric disorders in order to help students achieve their
academic and personal potential. They facilitate equal access to the educational
programs and opportunities offered at Stevens and coordinate reasonable
accommodations for eligible students. These services are designed to encourage
independence and self-advocacy with support from SCDS staff. The SCDS staff will
facilitate the provision of accommodations on a case-by-case basis. These academic
accommodations are provided at no cost to the student.
Disability Services Confidentiality Policy – Student Disability Files are kept separate
from academic files and are stored in a secure location within the office of Student
Counseling, Psychological & Disability Services. The Family Educational Rights Privacy
Act (FERPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232g; 34CFR, Part 99) regulates disclosure of disability
documentation and records maintained by Stevens Disability Services. According to this
act, prior written consent by the student is required before our Disability Services office
may release disability documentation or records to anyone. An exception is made in
unusual circumstances, such as the case of health and safety emergencies.
For more information about Disability Services and the process to receive
accommodations, visit https://www.stevens.edu/sit/counseling/disability-services. If
you have any questions please contact the Disability Services Coordinator and Staff
Clinician in Student Counseling and Disability Services.
Inclusivity Statement – Stevens Institute of Technology believes that diversity and
inclusiveness are essential to excellence in education and innovation. Our community
represents a rich variety of backgrounds, experiences, demographics and perspectives
and Stevens is committed to fostering a learning environment where every individual is
respected and engaged. To facilitate a dynamic and inclusive educational experience, we
ask all members of the community to:
 be open to the perspectives of others
 appreciate the uniqueness their colleagues
 take advantage of the opportunity to learn from each other
 exchange experiences, values and beliefs
 communicate in a respectful manner
 be aware of individuals who are marginalized and involve them
keep confidential discussions private
The Writing & Communications Center (WCC) – The WCC at Stevens is a free, on-
campus resource for all Stevens students, faculty, and staff, located in M210. The WCC
provides professional assistance with and feedback on all communications-related
projects from written documents to oral presentations (e.g., general essays,
dissertations, resumes, PowerPoint slides, interview skills, thesis defense). The Writing
& Communications Center is a valuable resource for all students, not just those having
difficulty with an assignment. It always helps to get a fresh set of eyes reading one’s
work. The WCC offers half-hour sessions on weekdays, from 11AM – 7PM. After the
semester mid-point, students who choose to revise one of their individual essays must
consult with a WCC Specialist.

COURSE SCHEDULE
NOTE: This syllabus is subject to changes. All readings not in the required texts will
be made available at least one week before they are due.
Week 1. January 22 and 23 – Introduction to Failure.
In this class session, we’ll discuss and agree upon the terms, expectations, and rules of
this course. Then, we’ll spend some time collectively defining failure: what it means,
what it is, what it isn’t, and how we know.
To prepare for this discussion, please read Edmondson, Amy. 2023. Right Kind of
Wrong: The Science of Failing Well. Atria Books: pp. 1-48.
Failure Journals: We will also be beginning our journey into failure with a reflection.
Please write about your own personal relationship to the concept of failure. How do you
think about it? What emotions come up for you? What examples? What would you like
to get out of this course?
Week 2. January 29 and 30 – Science and Constant Failure. [Discussion
Group 1]
During today’s session, we’ll think more deeply about science’s special relationship to
the concept of failure and how this differs (or doesn’t) from other fields such as
medicine, economics, engineering, or business. What is “science” – is it a method, a
practice, a way of thinking, a social endeavor – and how do we use it to explore and
understand the world? Is “scientific knowledge” possible without failure?
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Firestein, Stuart. 2016. Failure: Why Science Is So Successful. Oxford Press. ALL OF IT.
Edmondson, Amy. 2023. Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well. Atria
Books: pp. 49-85.
Failure Journals: Try out mindfulness. Studies have repeatedly shown that
developing a mindfulness meditation practice is beneficial to both mental and physical
health. Meditate for 10 minutes, every day, for the entire week. (There is a free app
called UCLA Mindful available in the iStore and on GooglePlay if you don’t already use
one.) Write about your experience over the week.
Group 1 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 3. February 5 and 6 – Engineering and Inevitable Failure. [Discussion
Group 2]
During today’s class, we’ll be looking at the concept of failure withing engineering. For
most engineers, failure is to be avoided at all costs. But what happens if failure –
especially within complex technological systems – cannot be avoided? What role does
failure play within the different sub-fields of engineering (mechanical, electrical, civil,
bio, and CS)? What can we learn from these readings about how to design for failure?
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Perrow, Charles. 1999. Normal Accidents: Living With High-Risk Technologies.
Princeton UP. ALL OF IT, but focus especially on the first chapter and then choose one
or two chapters that interest you specifically and read them more closely. Practice
SKIMMING a text for critical information.
Edmondson, Amy. 2023. Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well. Atria
Books: pp. 87-163.
Failure Journals: Start gratitude practice. Each night, before bed, write down three
things you were grateful for that day. They do not have to be big or momentous – it’s
just anything that comes to your mind. Keep it up for the entire week. (Important caveat
– if you are currently experiencing depression and after a day or two you find that this is
actually making you feel worse, please immediately stop. Instead, write down your
thoughts at the end of the day without self-censorship.) Write about your experience
with gratitude over the week.
Group 2 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 4. February 12 and 13 – The Philosophy of Failure. [Discussion Group
3]
During today’s class, we’ll be shifting from the physical to the metaphysical. We’ve
already learned so much about failure, but what does it *mean* to fail? If failure is often
defined in relationship to our social and cultural ideas about what it means to be
“successful” in life, then how do we individually decide what it means to life a “good
life”? What is the role of failure in our overall success? Philosophy has been wrangling
over these questions for as long as humans have been writing things down. We’ll get a
broad introduction to the topic of failure from the perspective of philosophy and see
how well it dovetails with what we’ve seen so far.
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Setiya, Kieran. 2022. Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way.
Riverhead Books: pp. 91-118.
Schur, Michael. 2022. How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Question.
Quercus Books: pp. 1-97.
Scruton, Roger. 1994. Modern Philosophy: an Introduction and Survey. Penguin
Books: pp. 271-298.
Failure Journals: Take 15 minutes and write about an event or situation in which you
failed. Describe what you did step by step and the thoughts that went through your
head. Pay attention to how you felt as it was happening and how you feel about it now.
Has your perspective changed? What are some lessons that you learned from that event?
Can you think of any benefits that were a result of that failure? Repeat this exercise
twice for different events or situations for a total of THREE failure reflections.
Group 3 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 5. February 20 and 21 – The Failure of Mindset. [Discussion Group 4]
During today’s class, we’ll debate the importance of mindset and its effect on our
individual relationship to the concept of failure. In past iterations of this class, students
have told me that this week ended up being one of the most important for them, and
that the readings and discussions helped them to change their own mindset around
failure dramatically. Let’s see what happens this year!
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Dweck, Carol. 2016. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books. ALL
OF IT (but focus more on the first few chapters and then read what interests you).
Denworth, Lydia. 2019. “Debate Arises over Teaching ‘Growth Mindsets’ to Motivate
Students” in Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/debate-
arises-over-teaching-growth-mindsets-to-motivate-students/
Barshay, Jill. 2022. “Does growth mindset matter? The debate heats up with dueling
meta-analyses” in KQED’s Mind/Shift: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/60490/does-
growth-mindset-matter-the-debate-heats-up-with-dueling-meta-analyses
Failure Journals: Please reflect on your relationship to your own work,
intelligence/talent, and personal relationships. Do you have a fixed or a growth mindset
in each of these areas? Are you a perfectionist? If so, think about how it manifests in
your day-to-day life. Is it a positive or a negative trait – or both? Do you think you
“learned” perfectionism, and if so, from whom? Also think about the critiques of
Dweck’s work and the trouble replicating her successes. Is teaching mindset a good idea
or a failure on my part? Why or why not?
Group 4 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 6. February 26 and 27 – The Failure to Be Happy. [Discussion Group
5]
During today’s session, we’ll examine the concept of happiness and its relationship to
the idea of failure. Recently, there has been a lot of attention in popular media about
how to attain happiness. Colleges like Yale even have courses on it. But is “happiness”
the main goal of a well-lived life? Are our brains – with all their cognitive errors and
biases – even good at predicting what will make our future selves happy?
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Gilbert, Daniel. 2006. Stumbling on Happiness. Vintage Books. ALL OF IT.
Setiya, Kieran. 2022. Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way.
Riverhead Books: pp. 171-182.
Adler, Sarah Elizabeth. 2018. “The Power of Negative Thinking” in The Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/the-power-of-negativity/
546560/
Failure Journals: Exercise or move for 7 minutes in the morning, before you do
anything else. It can be yoga, body weight exercises (like sit-ups or pushups), walking
around the block, or just dancing. Do this every single morning for the week. Reflect on
your experience over the week in relationship to your levels of “happiness.” Also reflect
on the readings. Are you a positive or a negative thinker? Have you spent a lot of time
trying to be “happy” or worried about how “happy” you might be in the future? What are
your main takeaways from this week?
Group 5 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 7. March 4 and 5 – The Necessary Failures of Biology [Discussion
Group 1]
In today’s class, we’ll talk a little bit about the biology of failure and the failure of
biology. Aging. Cell apoptosis. Heart failure. The cascade of biological system failures
that lead to death. We’ll look at how “failure” comes to be defined through basic biology
and the natural human life span and then map that back onto how we think about it.
How does our scientific understanding of nature and our own biology map back onto
our ideas about failure?
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Guwande, Atul. 2015. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Picador
Books. ALL OF IT.
Becker, Ernest. 1973. The Denial of Death. Free Press: pp. 11-66.
Failure Journals: Write a letter of gratitude to someone who has influenced you in a
positive way. Tell them what they mean to you. If you are brave enough to do so, call
them or see them and read it out loud to them. Don’t upload your letter, rather tell me
about the experience of writing it or reading it or sending it to them. Also reflect on
these readings. Are you consciously afraid of death? What is your own personal
relationship to the idea that we will all die someday? Do you think Becker is right and
that fear drives a lot of our life choices?
Group 1 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 8. March 11 and 12 – Spring Break. The Failure to Relax.
After talking about death last week, it’s a blessing to have a break. But I still want us to
be examining an aspect of failure, so I want you to monitor your phone and internet
usage in relationship to your sleep and relaxation this week.
Failure Journals: Try to stay off social media for a few days OR stay off of the
internet/phone for at least 30 minutes before bed. Your choice, or you can try to mix
and match. Experiment. If you fail at either one or both of these tasks, explore why you
can’t step away from these things. Are they a healthy or unhealthy presence in your life?
Do they relax you or do they stress you out? Do you sleep better without their presence
before bed?
Week 9. March 18 and 19 – Existential Failure. [Discussion Group 2]
So far, we’ve talked a lot about failure and happiness and the good life, but now we’re
going to turn our attention to the idea of meaning. What makes our lives meaningful? In
a sense, this week is asking about the relationship of existential meaning and living a
good – or meaningful – life. The Holocaust was an abject failure of humanity. But what
can we learn from something so senseless, tragic, and brutal? As we’ll see this week,
quite a lot. (Special coda: This book is emotionally difficult to read, but I want you to get
through it anyway. Students from past classes have told me it was the most important
book they read throughout the term.)
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Frankl, Victor. 2006. Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press. ALL OF IT.
Eagleton, Terry. 2007. The Meaning of Life: a Very Short Introduction. Oxford UP. ALL
OF IT.
Failure Journals: Create 3 meaningful interactions with friends or strangers every
day for a week. Really pay attention to another human being, even if it’s just while
ordering a sandwich. Look them in the eye and ask them about their day. Or call up a
friend and have a quick chat. Facetime someone for a few minutes. Text someone you
haven’t in a long time and ask them how they are doing. Keep a journal each day
exploring how this practice changed your mood/experience. What are the takeaways
about “meaning” from the texts that we can apply to our lives in 2024?
Group 2 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 10. March 25 and 26 – The Failures of Politics. [Discussion Group 3]
Since in some ways, last week was about the failure of politics (war), then we’re going to
shift gears to look more at what failure looks like within the political sphere itself. But
we’re going to get there through learning more about the social lives of our ape cousins.
What can primatology teach us about the origins of our human social institutions? And,
more importantly for us, what does “failure” in societies writ large look like? In today’s
class, we’ll go over some basic political theories and discuss the failures of politics in
2024 (an election year).
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
De Waal, Frans. 2006. Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are
Who We Are. Riverhead Books. ALL OF IT.
Bradatan, Costica. 2023. In Praise of Failure: Four Lessons in Humility. Harvard UP:
pp. 56-120.
Failure Journals: Reflect on this week’s readings. What does the term failure mean in
the realm of politics or policy? What do you think “good governance” should look like?
Should evolutionary biology have anything to add to the discussion? Why or why not?
Additionally, ask someone for help with something you’re struggling with. It can be big
or small. Maybe you need help forcing yourself to study. Maybe you need help getting to
the gym more often. Ask a friend to help you achieve one of your goals and offer to do
the same for them. Report who you asked for help and how they’re going to help you and
how that made you feel.
Group 3 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 11. April 1 and 2 – Relationships and the Sting of Personal Failures.
[Discussion Group 4]
During today’s session, we’ll explore the concept of failure as it pertains to the most
personal sphere of our lives: our relationships with family, friends, and lovers. How do
we think about “failed relationships” in our society? Can you “fail” at love? And is being
alone a “failure” – and can one experience loneliness in a “successful” relationship?
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
hooks, bell. 2018. All About Love: New Visions. William Morrow. ALL OF IT.
Svendsen, Lars. 2015. A Philosophy of Loneliness. Reaktion Books: pp. 72-106.
Failure Journals: Reflect on your own social connections. Each night, review your
day and try to remember the three longest social interactions that you had. Thinking
about all three, consider how true the following statements are for you:
1. During these social interaction, I felt “in tune” with the person/s around me.
2. During these social interactions, I felt close to the person/s.
Rate these on a scale from 1 to 7, with 1 = not at all true and 7 = very true. Reflect on the
scores. What could you do to increase your positive interactions? And what have this
week’s readings taught you about how you think about love and failure?
Group 4 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 12. April 8 and 9 – The Failure of Culture and the Need for Resilience.
[Discussion Group 5]
As some of you may have noticed, we live in difficult times. Since the pandemic began in
2020, workers around the world have been reporting historic levels of burnout at their
jobs. So much so that the media has been filled with stories about fatigue, work culture,
business culture, and the burdens of caring for young children and older adults while
working to make ends meet. Perhaps you, dear student, feel burnt out right now. If so,
then this week is for you.
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Han, Byung-Chul. 2015. The Burnout Society. Stanford UP. ALL OF IT.
Southwick, Steven et. al. 2023. Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest
Challenges. Cambridge UP. ALL OF IT. REALLY. I MEAN IT THIS TIME.
Failure Journals: Write out a to-do list every night before bed. Go through it and
mark the top 3 most important tasks. Everything else is negotiable, but those 3 have to
get done. Carry over anything that isn’t done to the next day’s list. Reflect on your
experience at the end of the week. Also, tell me what resonated with you from this
week’s readings. What did you learn about resilience?
Group 5 ONLY: Upload your reading notes IN ADDITION to the failure journals.
Week 13. April 15 and 16 – The Arts and the Need for Many Failures.
I’m a writer. I can tell you that perfectionism/fear is the obstacle that stands between
many creative people and their ability to create. In today’s session, we’ll explore the idea
of failure from the perspective of the creative arts. All artists/musicians/writers/actors
of any stripe MUST get comfortable with failure. Let’s see what we can learn from them
this week.
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Various Authors. 2014. “The Art of Failure: the Importance of Risk and
Experimentation” in American Artscape, volume 4. Downloadable here:
https://www.arts.gov/stories/magazine/2014/4/art-failure-importance-risk-and-
experimentation
Werner, Kenny. 1996. Effortless Mastery. Jamey Abersold Jazz Books: pp. 13-63.
Failure Journals: Try something you’ve always wanted to do but felt intimidated by.
It can be anything, but if it’s something captured by this week’s readings, all the better.
Write a poem. Sing. Apply to a job you want but feel scared of. Wear something bold.
Try to play an instrument. Try to learn a new language. Practice this new thing every day
and reflect on your experience. Was this harder or easier than you thought? Did it get
any easier each day? What can we learn by seeing failure as a necessary technique for
growth?
Week 14. April 22 and 23 – The Failure to Quit.
At some point, you’ll have to give up on something. You’ll have to quit. These decisions
can be extremely difficult – especially since our culture views quitting as synonymous
with failure. In today’s penultimate session, we’ll look at how we can fail by not quitting.
It’s the last lesson we need to learn to be better at this thing called human life.
To prepare for this discussion, please read:
Duke, Annie. 2022. Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away. Portfolio Books.
ALL OF IT.
Failure Journals: Try something you have previously disliked in order to see if you
still hate it. Be open to the fact that you change all the time. Maybe you *like* opera or
pickles now. You never know. Don’t be locked into an opinion for life based on one or
two experiences. Reflect on your experience and what you’ll take away from Quit.
Week 15. April 29 and 30 – The Failure of Failure.
In this final session, we’ll go over everything we’ve learned and revisit our conception of
failure. How has our understanding of what failure is and how to cope with it changed
over the course of 14 weeks? What will you take away from this experience? What didn’t
work – what are the ways in which we failed at failure?