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Most of us fear failure more than we fear almost anything else in the world.

Failure is painful; we all know that. But failure is also useful. Failing is the best way for people to grow, because failing is the only way we really learn. It lets us know when we should change course, and gives us experience to do something the next time around.

That’s the theme of a recent book by Megan McArdle, a former staff journalist at The Economist and The Atlantic who currently writes for Bloomberg View. The book is called The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success.

The book is an essential reminder to embrace failure as a way to learn and re-invent. That’s a useful lesson for everyone, especially entrepreneurs, to grasp. The book is filled with reporting and research. There are lots of interesting anecdotes, and we decided to share six of the most valuable ones for entrepreneurs.

Get ready for some fun stories to learn from.

We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. 

TED is a circuit of highly popular conferences that present "Ideas Worth Spreading" - which have quickly grown to become some of the most well known conferences around the world. TED has attracted presenters such as Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Larry Page, and a large handful of Nobel Prize Winners.  

Many of the presentations, known as TED Talks, present ideas that are particularly valuable to entrepreneurs. I put together a collection of TED Talks that all entrepreneurs, including ecommerce store owners, should find interesting and worthwhile. Since a lot of the presenters below have written books, I have included a link to purchase. All of the money earned from Amazon's affiliate program will go to Acumen Fund, a non-profit venture that supports entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Let us know which TED Talk you think should have made the list in the comments.