Failure Playing An Important Role In Success
Few individuals recognize the important role failure plays in any venture or enterprise if it occurs. Because failure is generally perceived as the opposite of success, many erroneously undercut the valuable lessons to absorb from failure and its positive influences on success. While failure has a constructive side, the potential negative impact of failure is often exaggerated therefore rendering failure as taboo to be avoided at all cost. However, several success stories, from various disciplines, illustrate the important role failure plays in success: Failure irreplaceably plays an important role in success in all spheres of life.
First, from a philosophical standpoint, failure is a stepping stone to success; and it may provide new insights. These new perceptions may be derived from the footprints of failure. Truly, behind every great success is a trail of repeatedly overlooked failures replete with dramatic lessons. For example, Thomas Edison performed approximately 10,000 experiments to invent the electric light bulb. Could it ever be that each failure had no influence on subsequent decisions and no knowledge was obtained? Thomas Edison noted all failed attempts and derived lessons from such failures which enabled him to narrow down the search space for the true experimental setup: Each failure was successful in limiting the search space. Notice the role of each failure in Thomas Edison’s experiments for inventing the electric light bulb. In each instance, failure was a signal to prove the correct experimental setup. In effect, behind success is a trail of failures.
Aside from the useful lessons that can be learned from failure as a stepping stone, failure necessitates the need to devise improved means of reaching goals. Thus, failure encourages innovation. To apprehend the role of failure in facilitating innovation, consider entrepreneurs who fail to obtain a fair share of the market size due to competition. It becomes imperative for such entrepreneurs to reconsider new ways of achieving goals utilizing the knowledge acquired from failure if their businesses would progress. Consequently, there emerges struggle for a fair share of the market size. This struggle eventually leads to the generation of newer and better products as entrepreneurs bid to outperform each other. Failure is the mother of innovation.
In conclusion, though failure may have some undesirable effects and losses, it is imperative to note the valuable information, feedback signals, and opportunities failure presents to enhance future ventures. When failure is correctly perceived as an important role player in success, people would be more persevering and venturous.