The Role Of Failure In Homer's Odyssey '

Failure is vital to the growth of not only heroes, but ordinary people as well, as it teaches them how to move past their guilt and negativity in order to persevere. Through the article Nine Ways to Fail Better, the author shows that it’s not easy to deal with failure, but it is extremely important to move on. The author states, “Blaming yourself for the bad things that happen to you--are probably the biggest reason people metabolize failure badly.” In expressing that one should put the blame on themselves, “for the bad things that happen to [them]” stresses the idea that failure is often inevitable, and there is not much that can change the outcome of the situation. Additionally, there is no sense in feeling shameful about failure. Along with the self-blame associated with failure,

Even though Odysseus experiences success through his journey home to Ithaca, he undergoes various failures as well. For instance, rather than following Circe’s advice and taking Charybdis’ path,Odysseus chooses to sail towards Scylla. As a result, he loses six men, and says, “Of all the pitiful things I’ve had to witness,/suffering, searching out the pathways of the sea,/ this wrenched my heart the most” (Homer, Book 12, 280-282). However, shortly after this event takes place, Odysseus goes back to being the brave leader that he is best known for. As Odysseus describes his encounter with Scylla as “pitiful,” this shows that he does indeed feel guilty for the loss of his men. However, he does not dwell on the past, and continues to move forward with his journey, knowing that the end reward is worth the struggle. When Alani the fish deals with the death of her close friend, Hector, she initially blames herself, as she was not watching to make sure that he was safe. However, she knew not to be ashamed, as there was nothing more she couldn't have done to prevent the