Madeleine L’Engle on Risk and Being Allowed to Fail

“Sticking my neck out has been something I have learned to do. And I think it’s a good thing…

Human beings are the only creatures who are allowed to fail. If an ant fails, it’s dead. But we’re allowed to learn from our mistakes and from our failures. And that’s how I learn, by falling flat on my face and picking myself up and starting all over again. If I’m not free to fail, I will never start another book, I’ll never start a new thing.”

— Madeleine L’Engle