Further, even in more moderate cases, it's not always clear that one can re-interpret failure as a positive. It's possible, but it depends on your pre-existing drives, needs, constitution etc. These people who get stubbornly motivated by failure are usually a particularly hungry type, with a really strong lust for whatever they're after, or perhaps just a need for it.

I know the 'headspace' the self-help books are getting at. I've been in situations where I really wanted something hard-to-obtain when alone in a new city, and yeah, I was able to grind through all the funny reactions to eventually find it. But there have been other times when I've wanted something but certain sensitivities prevented me from pursuing it; in these cases the 'failures' or 'rejections' had an overwhelmingly demoralizing effect that ran deeper than mere matters of 'attitude' or 'perspective.'

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3534942&forum_id=2#32720853)

The best way to handle failure is to view it as a neutral outcome while maintaining a strong desire to succeed.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3534942&forum_id=2#32721040)