ReadingATheRighttoFailReadingAIlike“dropout”asanadditiontotheAmericanlanguagebecauseit’sbriefandit’sclear.WhatIdon’tlikeisthatweuseitalmostentirelyasadirtyword.Weonlyapplyittopeopleundertwenty-one.YetanadultwhospendshisdaysandnightswatchingmindlessTVprogramsismoreofadropoutthananeighteen-year-oldwhoquitscollege,withitsfrequentlymindlesscourses,tobecome,say,aVISTAvolunteer.Fortheyoung,droppingoutisoftenawayofdroppingin.12ReadingAToholdthisopinion,however,islittleshortoftreasoninAmerica.Aboyorgirlwholeavescollegeisbrandedafailure—andtherighttofailisoneofthefewfreedomsthatthiscountrydoesnotgrantitscitizens.TheAmericandreamisadreamof“gettingahead,”paintedinstrokesofgoldwhereverwelook.OuradvertisementsandTVcommercialsareahymntomaterialsuccess,ourmagazinearticlesatoasttopeoplewhomadeittothetop.Smoketherightcigaretteordrivetherightcar—sotheadsimply—andgirlswillbeswooningintoyourdeodorizedarmsorcaressingyourexpensivelapels.Happinessgoestothemanwhohasthesweetsmellofachievement.Heisournationalidol,andeverybodyelseisournationalfink.3ReadingAIwanttoputinawordforthefink,especiallytheteen-agefink,becauseifwegivehimtimetogetthroughhisfinkdom—ifwereleasehimfromthepressureofattainingcertaingoalsbyacertainage—hehasagoodchanceofbecomingournationalidol,aJeffersonoraThoreau,aBuckminsterFulleroranAdlaiStevenson,amanwithamindofhisown.Weneedmavericksanddissentersanddreamersfarmorethanweneedjuniorvice-presidents,butweparalyzethembyinsistingthateverystepbeastepuptothenextrungoftheladder.Yetinthefluidyearsofyouth,theonlywayforboysandgirlstofindtheirproperroadisoftentotakeahundredsidetrips,pokingoutindifferentdirections,faltering,drawingback,andstartingagain.4ReadingA“Butwhatifwefail?”theyask,whisperingthedreadfulwordacrosstheGenerationGaptotheirparents,whoarebackhomeattheEstablishmentnursingtheir“middle-classvalues”andcultivatingtheir“goal-orientedsociety.”Theparentswhisperback:“Don’t!”5ReadingAWhattheyshouldsayis“Don’tbeafraidtofail!”Failureisn’tfatal.Countlesspeoplehavehadaboutwithitandcomeoutstrongerasaresult.Manyhaveevencomeoutfamous.Historyisstrewnwitheminentdropouts,“l(fā)oners”whofollowedtheirowntrail,notworryingaboutitsoddtwistsandturnsbecausetheyhadfaithintheirownsenseofdirection.Toreadtheirbiographiesisalwaysexhilarating,notonlybecausetheybeatthesystem,butbecausetheirsystemwasbetterthantheonethattheybeat.6ReadingALuckily,suchrebelsstillturnupoftenenoughtoprovethatindividualism,thoughbadlythreatened,isnotextinct.Muchhasbeenwritten,forinstance,aboutthefitfulscholasticcareerofThomasP.F.Hoving,NewYork’sformerParksCommissionerandnowdirectoroftheMetropolitanMuseumofArt.Hovingwasadropout’sdropout,enteringandleavingschoolsasiftheyweremotels,oftenattherequestofthemanagement.Still,hemusthavelearnedsomethingduringthoseunorthodoxyears,forhedroppedinagainatthetopofhisprofession.7ReadingAI’mnoturgingeveryonetogooutandfailjustforthesheertherapyofit,ortoquitcollegejusttocoddlesomevaguediscontent.Obviouslyit’sbettertosucceedthantoflop,andingeneralalongeducationismorehelpfulthanashortone.Ionlymeanthatfailureisn’tbadinitself,orsuccessautomaticallygood.8ReadingAFredZinnemann,whohasdirectedsomeofHollywood’smosthonoredmovies,wasaskedbyareporter,whenAManforAllSeasonswoneveryprize,abouthispreviousfilm,BeholdaPaleHorse,whichwasabox-officedisaster.“Idon’tfeelanyobligationtobesuccessful,”Zimmermanreplied.“Successcanbedangerous—youfeelyouknowitall.I’velearnedagreatdealfrommyfailures.”AsimilarpointwasmadebyRichardBrooksabouthisambitiousmoneyloser,LordJim.Recallingthethreeyearsofhislifethatwentintoit,talkingalmostwithelationaboutthetroublesthatbefellhisunitinCambodia,Brookstoldmethathelearnedmoreabouthiscraftfromthisconsiderablefailurethanfromhismanyearlierhits.910ReadingAIt’sapoint,ofcourse,thatappliesthroughoutthearts.Writers,playwrights,paintersandcomposersworkintheexpectationofperiodicdefeat,buttheywouldn’tkeepgoingbackintothearenaiftheythoughtitwastheendoftheworld.Itisn’ttheendoftheworld.Foranartist—andperhapsforanybody—itistheonlywaytogrow.11ReadingAToday’syoungergenerationseemstoknowthatthisistrue,seemswillingtotaketherisksinlifethatartiststakeinart.“Society,”needlesstosay,stillhastheupperhand—itsetsthegoalsandcondemnsasafailureeverybodywhowon’tplay.Butthedropoutsandthehippiesarenotasafraidoffailureastheirparentsandgrandparents.Thiscouldmean,astheireldersmightsay,thattheyarejustplumblazy,secureinthecomfortsofanaffluentstate.Itcouldalsomean,however,thattheyjustdon’tbuytheoldstandardsofsuccessandarerapidlywritingnewones.12ReadingARecentlyitwasannounced,forinstance,thatmorethantwohundredthousandAmericanshaveinquiredaboutserviceinVISTA(thedomesticPeaceCorps)andthat,accordingtoaGallupsurvey,“morethan3millionAmericancollegestudentswouldserveVISTAinsomecapacityifgiventheopportunity.”Thisishardlytheroadtorichesortoanexecutivesuite.YetIhavemetmanyoftheseyoungvolunteers,andtheyarenotpiningfortraditionalsuccess.Onthecontrary,theyappearmorefulfilledthantheaveragevice-presidentwithaswimmingpool.13ReadingAWhoistosay,then,ifthereisanyrightpathtothetop,oreventosaywhatthetopconsistsof?Obviouslythecollegesdon’thavemorethanapartialanswer—otherwisetheyoungwouldnotbesodisaffectedwithaneducationthattheyconsidervapid.Obviouslybusinessdoesnothavetheanswer—otherwisetheyoungwouldnotbesoscornfulofitscalltobeanorganizationman.14ReadingAThefactis,nobodyhastheanswer,andthedawningawarenessofthisfactseemstomeoneofthebestthingshappeninginAmericatoday.Successandfailureareagainbecomingindividualvisions,astheywerewhenthecountrywasyounger,notrigidcategories.Maybewearelearningagaintocherishthisrightofeverypersontosucceedonhisowntermsandtofailasoftenasnecessaryalongtheway.ReadingBSynchronizingtheButterfliesWhetherit’sthefamiliarfeelingsofSundaynightdreadbeforeatoughweekatworkorbutterfliesinyourstomachbeforeanexam,weallexperiencefeelingsofanxiety.Whileweoftenhavegoodreasontobeanxiouswhenweare,say,expectingtestresultsfromadoctororwe’rewaitingoutsideanoperatingtheatrewithalovedoneinside,anxietymoreoftenthannotinoureverydaylivesinvolvestheperceptionofathreat,ratherthananactualphysicalthreattoourselves.1ReadingBInhisbookSportandExercisePsychology:TheKeyConcepts,EllisCashmoredetailsseveralformsofanxiety,whichareallrelatedto:ageneralemotionalandcognitivereactiontoaparticularstimulusorenvironmentinwhichapprehensionandtrepidationarepresent.2ReadingBIt’sthisreaction,basedonourindividualperceptions,thatexplainswhyonepersoncouldseeaparticularsituationasaneagerlyawaitedtestoftheircourage—achallengetoriseupandmeet—whileanothercouldfeelthreatenedandsubsequentlyunabletoperformtothebestoftheirabilitytodealwithit.Whatweperceiveasbeingthreateningdiffersfrompersontoperson,anditisourperceptionsthataregeneratingtheanxietyratherthanthesituationitself.3ReadingBItisgenerallyacceptedthatanxiety—theperceptionofathreat—producestensioninthebodyandcancreateallmannerofemotionaldistractionsthatcanputusoffthetaskathand.Thesetask-irrelevantthoughtsinterferewithourthinkingandpreventusfrombeingabletoperformefficientlyaprocesswewouldotherwisebeabletodoeasily.4ReadingBThiskindofanxietycanmanifestitselfinmanyways,includingextremeself-consciousnessandoverthinkinghowyou’dthrowthepaperball,aswellastheusualphysicalsymptoms:thepoundingheart,drymouthandsweating.Butatitscore,thecauseisquitesimple:it’safearoffailure.5ReadingBThe“f”wordhasbecomeanalltoopowerfulpartofourlanguage.Itallowsustopaintthingsinblackandwhiteand,despiteourbestefforts,itiseasytoviewanythinginwhichwedon’t100percentsucceedas“failure”.Yes,failurecanleadtoallsortsofproblems:failureinthecaseofyourpaper-ballthrowwouldhaverealfinancialrepercussionsforyou,whileinanexamoratest,failureisusuallyeasilydefined.But“failure”canmeanallsortsofthingsinothersituationsandincludemanyshadesofgrey.Itcouldmeanmeetinganewpartner’ssocialgroupforthefirsttimewhenyou’renervousaboutitandfeelingafterwardsthatyouhaven’tgivenagoodaccountofyourself.Itcouldmeanvolunteeringtogiveatalkatyourlocalschool,onlytohaveaclassfullofboredchildrenhorsingaroundandplayingontheirphonesinsteadoflisteningtoyou.6ReadingBNotallofthese“failures”havehuge,negativeconsequences.Someofthemarelearningexperiencesand,mostinterestingly,itisquiteoftenthecasethat“failure”inourownmindsisn’tevendetectablebyothers,whomightthinkeverythingwentfine.Yourpartnermightsay,“Youweregreat—whowouldn’tbeabitnervousanduncomfortablewitharoomfullofstrangersbasicallyinterrogatingthem?”Anexperiencedteachermightsimplysmileandsay,“Welcometomyworld!”7ReadingBAgain,thisisallpointingtoourperceptionofasituation.We’renegativelyreinforcing(ourown)subjectiveopinionsratherthanobjectivetruths.Unfortunately,onceweperceivethatwe’vefailed,we’remorelikelytobeanxiousaboutdoingitagain,andforsomepeoplethatthenmeanstheystarttryingtoavoidthesituation—avoidingthepossibilityoffailure.8ReadingBWhenweseethisonthesportsfield,wetalkaboutteamsandplayerslookingtoevadedefeatratherthanstrivingforvictory.Andoncethesekindsofthoughtscomeintoplay,itexertsadifferentkindofpressure,moredifficulttomanage.9ReadingBIregularlyworkwithKevinShine,theEnglandandWalesCricketBoard’sleadfast-bowlingcoach.WewereputtingtheEnglandperformancesquadbowlersthroughatestinwhichtheyhadtohitatargetthatwasmarkedasaslotonthefloorsixyardsfromthestumps.Theslotwastwoyardslongandtwelveincheswide.Foreachhitthebowlerscoredapoint.Bytheendofthesession,alleightofthebowlerswerehittingthetargetsandtherewasafairbitofcompetitiveedgebetweenthem.ReadingB10Wethenchangedthecontestsothat,insteadofbeingrewardedforhittingtheirtarget,thebowlerswerepenalizedfornotlandingtheirballinthetargetarea,thetwo-yardbytwelve-inchslot.Thisprovedtobeamuchtoughertest,withthebowlershavingtoadjustfromaproactivetask,tomakeaconsciousacttoavoidanoutcome.Thekeyforthebowlerwastoreplacetheconditionswehadcreatedandconvertthetaskintheirmindstohittingthetarget,ratherthannotmissing.ReadingB11Thenewcontestwassimple:missthetwo-yardtargetandyouwereout.Wehadtwosudden-dea