It is naive to think that all failures can be viewed as positive. Failure hurts. It can create the lowest of the lows and anxieties that you did not know existed. It is not fatal, however, nor is it contagious. Most of all, it is not permanent. Failure is an event. It can be judged by how we view it and how others tell us to view it. We do not have to accept others' opinions about the event. We do have to decide how we will interpret it and manage it. It is the way we cope with failure that shapes us, not the failure itself. The real strength of character comes from knowing that we will survive, that survival will ensure a better life, and that we can learn to manage both our successes and failures.