Essay:It's better to have endeavoured and lost than never to have tried at all.

A sense of fulfillment comes from a concerted and whole-hearted endeavour regardless of the end result.It could be argued that Man rides on his success irrespective of the spirit in which he's played the game.In my view,although the outcome plays a role,if one is secure in the belief of having given off one's best,having thoroughly enjoyed the journey,a failure wouldn't be as disheartening as not having participated at all.
Evading an activity for fear of failure is detrimental and hampers progress.Failure is success turned inside out and must be taken in one's stride to try and learn from one's mistakes and not repeat them in future.Thomas Alva Edison,the great inventor with over 1000 patents to his name,when asked what he thought of his numerous failures replied calmly,"I have not failed.I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work".
Today,competition is rife and one is often scorned at for not pulling off a victory or failing in a venture.This can be really demoralizing leading the person to believe he's not equal to the task at hand and make him contemplative when confronted with one in future.Jeers,taunts and the fear of failure holds one back from giving something a try,let alone putting one's best foot forward.This kind of mindset spells doom,to say the least.Without any experience,mistakes that can be obviated are repeated ad-nauseum.Exploring new avenues give us insight and make us better equipped in tackling similar tasks with confidence.On the other hand,if one shirks from a task,he loses out in the long run as this attitude militates against success.
In Sports too,the ones who have made a mark and succeeded at the highest level have tasted defeat many a time.This hasn't deterred them from realizing their dreams and carving a niche for themselves.They have,in fact,been made mentally stronger to cope with tricky situations unprecedently as they have been humbled and this has taught them valuable lessons along the way.Introspection and ironing out one's flaws in the process is how a failure is meant to bring out the best in a person.
Winners and leaders from all walks of life have experienced failures but what sets them apart from the herd is their attitude of bouncing back from these defeats,committing themselves over and over again and pursuing their goals with all the ability given to them,armed with the knowledge the past encounters have afforded.They are impervious to criticism and never stop trying at any cost and against all odds.Their persistence has paid rich dividends and this 'Never Say Die' attitude puts them on a pedestal and will stand them in good stead.