Was Henry David Thoreau a failure? Hardly. Today, he's considered one of America's great writers. But his mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, called him the worst kind of failure: a dreamer. At Thoreau's funeral, Emerson said Thoreau was born for greatness, but he lacked ambition. He was nor more than a dilettante. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll talk about the history of failure in a country that worships success.
Last modified:
August 02, 2024