There is a certain nobility in Failure. It’s not acknowledged enough. To say there is nobility there at all is to suggest there is some value inherit in failing.
Literature depicts the noble failure as a lone, tragic hero faces overwhelming odds, fails, yet accepts that fate, even if it means defeat or death. Think Mr. Spock taking a nuke dose for the Enterprise crew. “For the Good of Many”. Genuine honor and dignity. Cut, Wrap, Print. But of course, that’s fiction.
In business, failures are often experienced by the “group”. A different dynamic prevails. The concept of nobility in failing is thrown out the nearest window as the quest to find fault takes precedence.
Single Point of Failure
Often technology can be at fault. Or our tendency to trust in the infallibility of technology gets tested. The error being one of human omission. Perhaps not creating a redundancy in case of a failure. MS Word updates help the human by auto-saving and keeping version history. There is no crystal ball of unfortunate inevitabilities to be divined. But there’s value there and the potential for individual growth.
Nine times out of ten though, there is human error or shortcoming of some kind. Certainly unconscious, but devastating nevertheless in its impact. Missteps reveal character.
Failure: The Great Teacher
There are many benefits assigned to failure. However, failure can spur creativity and innovation. It also gives valuable insight into what NOT to do in the future.
Everyone can learn from defeat, improving their resilience to the setbacks they will inevitably encounter in business and in life. Failing helps you learn how to deal with challenges in a positive way. It can also help you become more adept at solving problems and dealing with difficult situations.
When you fail, you develop a deeper understanding of your work and self. Not only will you not repeat the mistakes you made, but you also begin to ask deeper questions to consider every possible solution, and every possible potential problem. To prevent failure at all costs.
Resilience and Perseverance
When we fail, we can pick ourselves back up and try again. This process of trying, failing, and trying again builds character. It helps us develop the determination and grit necessary to achieve goals.
In that sense, failure can be seen as noble. It takes courage to put ourselves out there and risk failure. It takes strength to admit our mistakes and learn from them. And it takes resilience to keep going in the face of adversity.
Therefore Be Not Afraid of Failure. Embrace it as an opportunity for personal growth and development. Shortcomings from the past lack nobility when they are not embraced as an opportunity to improve.
So, failure is an essential part of the journey towards success. It cannot be avoided. By embracing failure and learning from it, we can become stronger, more resilient individuals who are better equipped to achieve our goals.