Fail Better with David Duchovny

4.5 (508)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED WEEKLY

To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

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TRAILER

Coming Soon… Fail Better with David Duchovny (Official Trailer)

To be human is to fail. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. But if it's something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it? As the author Samuel Beckett once said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter even got a tattoo of it. I want to fail better, dammit. So, I’m sitting down with thoughtful people every week to talk about it. Because maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better. Fail Better - coming May 7, from Lemonada Media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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David Duchovny

Host

4.5

out of 5

508 Ratings

Rethinking failure.

Jan 11

LTRhodes

So much here in these podcasts - thank you! … The range of life experience and conversational meandering that brings out reflection …. I especially loved Gabor Matte, Alec Baldwin, Mary Trump and many more… I have listened to just about everyone from Ben Stiller (the first and second time). It’s funny what life throws us - and what we do with those perceived foul balls and falls.
So reflective!

09/03/2025

Mindy_sue

I grew up a super fan of the X-Files, so of course I was a fan of the actor David Duchovny, but now I love him as a human. He is so emotionally intelligent and reflective. I am these things as well, so it’s nice to find an interviewer who resonates. His nature leads to the sort of questions nobody ever asks in interviews and I find myself deeply interested in answers to questions I’d never thought to wonder. Makes me feel good. P.S. Gates McFadden does this as well in her podcast if you were looking for more.
Nice listen

08/16/2025

Ricky R Richard

I wasn’t expecting Duchovny to be such a good interviewer but he makes these conversations thoughtful.
Inspiring

07/23/2025

Diane S W

While the recognizable names may draw you to this podcast, it is its substance that will get you hooked. Honest, thought provoking and real. You will find yourself identifying with the fragility of life that unites all humans. Even more so, you will come to embrace the failures that are truly our triumphs.

To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.