“These kids have to learn that they can fail. The problem is, they have never been allowed to fail.” Dr. Hellack, one of the best teachers and leaders I have ever known, said that. She believes that by letting students fail at some things you allow them to succeed at others; a philosophy that I whole heartedly agree with. Here are a few reasons why:
Being allowed to fail alleviates anxiety about the future. Haven’t we all heard those stories about a person who seems so perfect and successful on the outside but tragically takes their own life because of one big failure? If they only would have known that failure was an option. Not the best option, obviously, but something that could be accepted and recovered from.
Being allowed to fail teaches responsibility. I think many would agree that children are becoming incredibly spoiled these days. In schools problem children seem to be passed around. Rarely is a teacher willing to do the hard work of fixing the problem and they shouldn’t have to. Parents must be willing to set higher standards of behavior at home. If a child misbehaves, there should be consequences. A child needs to see that their actions have results in the real world. You are responsible for your life- failure is a part of life.
Being allowed to fail makes success greater. This goes hand in hand with the point before. If you are taught that your actions have the power to generate failure, the other side of the coin is that they also have the power to generate success. This is a success you can own. It is yours and yours alone.
Finally, being allowed to fail closes doors. “When one door closes, another one opens,” but what if no doors ever close? It can be overwhelming. No one person can be good at everything, and no one person should expect them to be. If we coddle others into believing that they are good at everything they will strive for nothing.
Do you agree? Disagree? I think I have been fearing failure for too long. Here are a few quotes that I find interesting:
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure. “
Abraham Lincoln“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
Michael Jordan“Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.”
Zig Ziglar“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
Henry Ford“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Colin Powell
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