Failure is the sudden irruption of nothingness into the midst of existence. To experience failure is to start seeing the cracks in the fabric of being, and that’s precisely the moment when, properly digested, failure turns out to be a blessing in disguise. For it is this lurking, constant threat that should make us aware of the extraordinariness of our being: the miracle that we exist at all when there is no reason that we should. Knowing that gives us some dignity.

A nice article on the benefits of failure in the NY Times.
 
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/in-praise-of-failure/?_php=true&_&_r=1