William Zinsser The Right To Fail Analysis

Failure, the product of unsuccessfully attempting an action or goal, is a right. In his article The right to fail, William Zinsser believes that Failure is a right. Even though most people who attend high school and higher education are successful, few people who fail are. Zinsser contends the idea that failure is not fatal as well as failure is not a thing sought after. Although some think success is a set standard for all to strive for, success is determined by one’s own goals. The standards set for young adults may hinder them from gaining their full potential. College or higher education may not bring students to the path that best suits them, but failure of them may guide them where they need. For many dropouts, “dropping out is often a way of dropping in.” (Zinsser, ,189) For the odd few who do fail, or drop out of school, they either do not meet the standards, or do not feel like they fit in. Many, because of failure, drive themselves to success in another field of work or study. For some, failure ignites their desire to prove themselves. Many failures go against the normal flow and become …show more content…
Standards hold sway over much of what is considered success or failure. “it could also mean, however, that they just don’t buy the old standards of success and are rapidly writing new ones.” Relying on old standards of success may limit the extent of success. Definitions and norms change along with the people actively searching for them, and they are different for each person. Not everyone plans for the road to wealth and power. “On the contrary, they appear more fulfilled than the average vice-president with a swimming pool.” In this instance, the author mentions college students participating in volunteer work. The students may not have the accolades or money to prove they gained anything from it. The students did it not for the money, but they did it because of their own