Is There Value in Failure?
Failure has always had a negative connotation associated with it. It’s because at a young age, we were taught that failure is bad and it means that we weren’t able to accomplish something. It was almost a reflection of a person’s worth. Failure was heavily discouraged. Especially in education systems. However, failure should be encouraged!
Failure is actually a key component in success. It can lead to unexpected findings and a person could actually end up learning more from their failure than if they simply got it right the first time! Failure isn’t an end but an opportunity. Thomas Edison and Abraham Lincoln are both prime examples of people that failed but it led to something greater. Abraham Lincoln lost his run for US Senate but ended up becoming the president of the United States. If Lincoln wouldn’t have failed during his run as US Senate, who’s to say he would have become the president. Henry Ford went bankrupt before starting the Ford Motor Company. J.K. Rowling, a famous author known for the Harry Potter series, received twelve rejections before the first book was published.
Failure is not something to be ashamed or scared of. Failure actually means you’re trying. It’s what you do with failure that’s important. You can choose to use failure as your motivation and strive to be better. Or, you can use it as an excuse to quit! But you’d be wrong to quit because your failure can lead you to great things without even knowing it. You can choose to come back stronger and it’s even okay if you fail again! More failure will only lead to more findings that will lead to success.
All in all, the stereotypical message of failure is all wrong! History shows that failure has caused growth and is the reason so much has happened! The pacemaker, a small device that’s implanted in the chest to help control the heartbeat, was literally an accidental invention! If all of this doesn’t show that failure only leads to success, I’m not sure what does!