Discuss “When all else fails, excel in mediocrity”

Failure is something you can easily succeed in. Take the phenomenal 19 percent I scored on my ninth-grade geometry test. The failure was so spectacular it actually felt triumphant. My friends saw it as subversively heroic. “Jenn Kim got a 19 on the geometry test. How do you even get a 19? That is so phat.” “Phat” was the most scandalous thing you could be in 1999 Long Island, New York. After all, rebellion is a trait of valor in the eyes of adolescents. With a 19 on the test, I proudly flew the “I don’t give a shit” flag to impress peers and got a week’s worth of classroom attention. There is something dark, romantic, and even sexy about failure.

Success is universally admired and, unlike failure, you get your money’s worth,...