Comedian H. Jon Benjamin Discusses the Merits of Totally Screwing Up

Comedian H. Jon Benjamin—the voice behind Archer and Bob’s Burgers and author of the new book Failure Is An Option: An Attempted Memoir—discusses the merits of totally screwing up.

Based on your book, you seem to have a gift for shrugging off failure.

I’ve learned to cope with the idea that failure is a constant in most people’s lives. Like once, as I describe in the book, I bought a dirt bike on eBay and wanted the immediate gratification of riding it around New York City. But it never worked out. I rode it for a total of 45 seconds before I got a ticket. That’s emblematic of my life in general, I think. In the book, I try to show readers how to let failures wash over you and live with them in a positive way. Like, don’t board up your windows and shit on yourself. Don’t isolate yourself from the rest of the world.

Have your failures, by and large, been stepping-stones to bigger and better things?

No way. I think that’s a trope perpetuated by successful people and self-help books. You never hear stories about people who keep failing, failing, and failing, because there’s usually not a clear, positive message. But—even if you never succeed in a big way—when you fail and hit bottom, that’s when you really change for the better. People who struggle and fail all the time, they usually don’t have a sappy, end-of-the-rainbow tale, but they’ve learned how to deal and move on. And that’s valuable. It sort of strengthens you for future failures.

What’s a failure or setback you’ve had to deal with recently?

I have a really unhealthy relationship with my kid now because of this book. I have to be like, “Don’t take it too seriously!” I want him to feel free to make a few mistakes, but it’s not like I want him to fuck up all the time.