Greatness in failure | Matthew Whipple | TEDxYouth@ParkCity

Matthew Whipple, a ninth grader at Treasure Mountain Middle School in Park City, Utah, talks about how one's attitudes towards failure can show their greatness.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organised by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Failure. It's a word
that can be represented in many ways.

It can describe a person;
it can describe a group;

it can describe everyone in this room.

Everyone has failed;
most have gotten back up.

But it's a few that try harder
and do whatever they can

and won't stop until they have passed
what they have failed.

That is truly great.

True success is never
giving in to failure.

George Patton said,

"I won't ever measure a man's success
on how well he can climb a ladder,

but I will on how high he bounces back up
when he hits the bottom."

Whether it's getting an A on a big test,
not making the team,

or not getting the job of your dreams,

those are just three out of thousands
of millions of ways that you can fail.

Sir Winston Churchill said,

"Success consists of moving
from failure to failure

without loss of enthusiasm."

Thomas Edison is a great example of this.

He had failed over and over and over again

before creating
the first working light bulb.

But he states, "I have not failed,

I have just found 1000 ways
that wouldn't work."

Even though no one thought
it was possible to create what he created,

he still was determined to not stop

till he created the first light bulb.

Failure was the path

to one of the greatest
inventions in history.

Oftentimes, failure
is the beginning of greatness.

Michael Jordan stated,

"I have failed over and over
and over again in my life,

and that's why I succeed."

When he first didn't make
his high school varsity team,

and was told he wasn't good enough,

he still put in the extra hours.

Greatness is the things
that people don't necessarily see.

It's the hours in the gym by yourself.

That described Michael Jordan

and his journey to get
to where he is today.

He was one of the few people
that was passionate enough

and would do whatever he could
to be able to get better.

Failure fueled his desire

to be one of the greatest
basketball players of all time.

Everyone has a different
representation on success,

but I will leave you with mine.

I think it is when you hit a wall,
the good stand back and think

while the great plow through,
go under, climb over,

and won't rest until they have passed
the obstacle in their way.

Thank you.

(Applause) (Cheers)