Today’s blog draws inspiration from Freakonomics Radio’s podcast, which presented a three-episode series on “How to Succeed at Failing.” It’s not the most pleasant topic to discuss. In their final episode, they did something quite bold, or at least it seemed daring to me. They interviewed several individuals who had experienced failure in entrepreneurship, academia, and relationships. We often mourn, blame, and regret our own failures, but what perspective should we have when it comes to others’ failures?
Some people claim to be open to failure and even say that even the most foolish mistakes are acceptable. Is that really the case? More often than not, when it comes to other people, such as our friends and family, we express this sentiment partly to provide comfort and partly to show sympathy, allowing ourselves room for potential future failures. However, when it comes to our own failures, we’d rather they not happen at all. Are they truly tolerable or acceptable? Not really.
But starting with genuinely listening, understanding, and empathizing with others who have experienced failure and retracing their path through obstacles toward success can be a refreshing experience. I rarely do this, but virtually placing myself in that situation, standing beside a desperate PhD candidate at their heart-wrenching “quit moment” and genuinely acknowledging that “this is not going to work out” is a valuable moment.
So, it’s important to realize that failures are a part of life, and while they may sometimes feel almost inevitable, when they do happen, just move forward and say, “thank you, next.”