Why we shouldn’t be afraid to fail
Society has conditioned us from a young age to be completely appalled by the idea of failure. Although it’s not said outright, society has skewed our idea of perfection and the standards that we feel we must live by. We constantly compare ourselves to others and desire to live up to and surpass their accomplishments and successes.
Many suffer from the crippling fear of failure due to the high standards set before them. According to an article by Dr. Andrew J. Martin, Martin states that “Fear of failure is examined from a need achievement perspective and in the context of research amongst high school and university students.”
We are driven by the need to achieve certain goals, such as perfect grades and a list of extracurriculars. Failure is not a possibility in our minds.
But — what if I told you that failure is essential to success? That the two cannot exist apart from one another? The thought of failure as a positive force in our lives is countercultural and radical.
In an interview with Forbes magazine, Dr. Sam Collins addresses the idea of failure in relation to success.
“If nothing else, I hope you realize failure is temporary, and failure is good even if, undeniably, it feels really bad when it happens,” said Collins.
Failure is uncomfortable and many shy away from that fact. Many prefer to remain within the comfort of four walls. However, it is through the uncomfortable experiences that you experience the most growth.
Now, just because we are destined to fail at some point in our lives doesn’t mean we should stop working hard within our jobs and at school — it’s quite the contrary. In whatever we do, we should do it for “the glory of God, not for human masters,” (Colossians 3:24-25).
There are healthy ways to go about dealing with failure in order to grow from those experiences. According to a New York Times article, journalist Oset Babur suggests several steps that you should take in order to deal with failure effectively.
Babur first suggests being vulnerable with your mistakes. If you don’t admit the error in your ways, there can’t be growth.
Babur then describes how failure is conducive to building relationships. It allows others to see us as simply “human” and not some person on a pedestal.
Failure is something that seems almost taboo to talk about. However, if we stop and recognize that we are human and have shortcomings, then we can truly grow as a community and see that there is beauty in failure.