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Don't be afraid of failure. Instead, embrace the near-win

Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode Sports psychology for everyday life

Failure is painful, but it's not always a bad thing. Writer Sarah Lewis explains how embracing the "near-win" is an important step in the journey toward mastery and success.

About Sarah Lewis

Sarah Lewis is an art and cultural historian. She is an associate professor of history of art and architecture and African and African American studies at Harvard University. She is also the founder of theVision & Justice initiative.

Her books include The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America and The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery. She has previously worked in curatorial roles at The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Modern in London.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Fiona Geiran and edited by Katie Monteleone. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHourand email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Web Resources

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Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Katie Monteleone is a producer for TED Radio Hour. She started out as an intern for the show in January 2019. After her internship, Monteleone began producing for Life Kit before returning to the TED Radio Hour team in October 2019 as a full-time producer.