Any idea where that advice comes from, I've given similar advice in the realms of learning to throw pots (on the potters wheel); would be nice to ground that advice in a source as ancient wisdom if it is indeed that.
I am sure there are many alternatives to the many proverbs of Go. Kensaku Segoe might be the source of many of them according to the wiki page for Go_Proverbs. Aside from that, I really like Thomas Edisons' quote on failure;
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas A. Edison
Off-topic but I tried ceramics and found it to be the hardest thing I ever had to learn. Ceramics seems to be unique in that your creations literally get destroyed right in front of you with no way to go back. (I'm told ceramics people dream of VCS' in their sleep :)
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas A. Edison