SCPL Online NonFiction Book Club discussion

At first, this book appears to be a continuous parade of contradictions - beginning with the title. Even Chris admits in his chapter 'Lose Well' on page 19 that viewing losing as a source of power is counterintuitive; at least, according to current cultural standards.

When I initially read the first few pages of this book, I thought it might be the most depressing thing I'd ever read. But the more I read, the more the author's reasoning made sense. Failure is something that we instinctively avoid. But the truth of the matter is, it's inevitable - we'll all experience failure in one way or another. It's better to embrace failure as a learning experience rather than to fearfully avoid it and then react badly when the inevitable occurs.

Chris maintains that failure is a good thing. One example he provides "forest fires promote positive regrowth" is very true - though going through that fire (whatever metaphor it stands for) won't happen without some degree of pain.

Chris encourages us to change the way we think. To stop worrying about winning and avoiding losing but instead train yourself to lose well. The author names this "productive realism" but do you think that this attitude could spiral into a general apathetic look on life?

What do you think about Chris' case for Losing Well? Do you think this philosophy can truly be achieved in this day and age?

~Marcella~