Originally published in Vulture on April 14, 2015. Photo: Justina Mintz/AMC
“Failure is a very personal word in English. It’s an insult to your abilities. As a verb, it’s passive, in that there’s no act of failing; it’s a state of being. If you fail, it implies that you are a failure. In French, échec has military qualities. It’s not just about coming up short on expectations or aspirations. It’s about losing everything.”
Also republished on Slate
OLIVIA COLLETTE 