i also think it’s an extremely helpful exercise to embrace the gifts of failure, and to be very skeptical of success under white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. who gives these ideas their meanings and values? do we think life is a linear process that leads to success (which is Good) or failure (which is Bad), or is it more complex than that? what dimensions of our lives and selves are not encompassed by conventional ideas of success or failure? i’m a huge fan of failing at things that create harm to myself or others, and it’s often only in hindsight that we understand this was the case. likewise successes can be harmful when we’re on a path that isn’t right for ourselves, our communities, our earth. failure often has more to teach us than success, and is never a final destination.
