Can you fail

Answer 1

Yes and no. As a professor, I can tell you that a student who does not study and who gets wrong answers on exams will fail my course; there are also students who try, but who just don't understand the subject matter, and some of them will fail a course too. So, yes, in that use of the word, it is possible to fail. But if you are talking about life, "to fail" is a judgment. It's a harsh judgment, that tells you you're just a loser, a failure, no good, etc. But it's often wrong, and it's often unfair. In addition, it creates some very negative self-perceptions, and can lead to a lack of confidence.

For example, I am not good at algebra. I got a failing grade in it and had to hire a tutor and go to summer school. To this day, I am not good at algebra. But am I a failure in life because there is a subject I'm not good at? I don't think so, because I am good at other things; I went on to get my college degree and even got two master's degrees and a PhD eventually. The problem is that human beings tend to obsess about the things they did poorly at, and they tend to believe they will always do poorly at them. But that is not always accurate. Things can change. Years later, you may have a different viewpoint on what you did back then; you may develop new ways of doing it, and you may do it better. And even if, like me, you never improve at a certain thing, focusing on that one thing does not help you to move forward-- especially since there are probably other things you can do quite well. So, I prefer to say that other than in school, the word "to fail" isn't helpful. It's better to think of something as "I didn't do well on that, but I'm going to find a way to improve" or perhaps, "I'm not going to worry about what I'm not good at; I'm going to focus my energies on my skills, and work to develop them."