Quote
“«I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying».”
A psychologist's note: why this works
Jordan separates two different fears: the fear of losing and the fear of not daring. The first is unavoidable in sport and can be worked with; the second is corrosive, because it denies you the experience.
In sport psychology this is a shift of focus from outcome to action: the athlete stops judging themselves by the scoreboard and starts judging by whether they gave everything. That criterion is always within their control, which lowers anxiety before the start.
Themes of this quote
When a sports psychologist helps
If the theme lands, read the breakdowns of what athletes go through, take a test, or pick a sports psychologist.