I like stories of failure. I like to read about people who lose everything, who end up completely alone, and who are then forced to reinvent themselves from the bottom up, not because I enjoy other people’s misery, but because I would like to believe I could do the same if I had to. D.H. Lawrence wrote, “the brightest light throws also the darkest shadow.” When we see the great luminaries of humankind, we often forget that their successes may hide dark pasts, filled with failure and embarrassment. That’s why I love the story of Demosthenes.