Issy Interview: The Virtues of Failure with Charles Pépin
What if we changed our perspective on failure? In France, failure is frowned upon. We see it as a weakness, not as a sign of audacity and experience. And yet, Charles de Gaulle, Steve Jobs, and Barbara all suffered crushing setbacks before achieving their goals.
In his book, *The Virtues of Failure*, Charles Pépin teaches us how to make the most of our failures. He shows us how each trial, because it confronts us with reality or our deepest desires, can make us more insightful, more resilient, more alive.
By Charles Pépin
A philosopher and novelist, a graduate of Sciences Po Paris and HEC Paris, and a professor of philosophy, he is the author of several philosophical essays, including When Beauty Saves Us and Self-Confidence: A Philosophy*. He has also published novels, notably *Joy*—a variation inspired by Camus's *The Stranger*. Finally, he has published two graphic novels with the author Jul: *La Planète des sages and *Cinquante Nuances de Grecs*. A columnist for *Philosophie Magazine*, he has been leading a philosophy seminar open to all for twelve years, *Les lundis philos de Charles Pépin*, at the MK2 Odéon in Paris, and since 2020 has hosted a podcast on Spotify: *Charles Pépin: une philosophie pratique*. In the summer of 2023, he will once again host the daily program "Sous le soleil de Platon" on France Inter.