ABSTRACT
In neoliberal societies, we learn to redefine failure as success in disguise, as a stepping-stone on the road to success, or as an indication of personal lack, and not the result of adverse circumstances. This redefinition deflects attention from the structural inequalities that render failure devastating. In addition, notions of both failure and success are caught up in damaging capitalist and neoliberal principles. Through an analysis of multiple physical practices – skateboarding, moshing, martial arts, and utility cycling – this chapter examines the role of redefinition in the learning process while also suggesting a move beyond what is considered normal, accepted, or even possible through the engagement of collective imagination.
