The Importance of Failure And Why It Makes You Stronger
Recently, one of the students I tutor came to me for help on an essay involving an article written by Angel B. Perez entitled, “Want To Get Into College?: Learn to Fail.” In it, Perez talks about how students often try to hard to seem perfect on college applications. So much so, that Perez was taken aback by a student who admitted to him that what he most looked forward to in college was an opportunity to fail. This got me thinking about the benefits of failure. I know that sounds crazy, but bear with me. I have compiled a list of 7 reasons why there is an importance of failure.
1. Failure allows you to try new things.
Failing is a sign that you are stepping outside of your comfort zone. When you let go of the fear of failing, you are more likely to try new things. Nothing will stand in your way of exploring, experimenting, and learning new things. This will, in turn, help you expand your experiences and your world view which will lead to a more fulfilling life.
2. Failure will make you try harder!
Failure will make you resilient if you do not let it defeat you. Like the famous Samuel Beckett saying “Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better” implies, success does not come easily to everyone. If you really want something, you will have to work hard for it. Sometimes we are met with obstacles that make us want to give up for good, but if we keep pushing forward, success can be just around the corner. The key is not to give up!
3. Failure makes you more resourceful!
If you’ve ever failed at something, you know that sometimes you have to figure something else out. Sometimes the path you are taking to achieve things isn’t working and you have to find a new way to approach the problem. Whether you are trying to make a life decision or trying to solve a math problem, being able to look back at your past failed attempts will help you to find a better solution. This will make you a better problem solver which is a skill that will help you all throughout your life.
4. Failure teaches you new things about life and yourself.
With every failure comes a lesson. You learn how not to do something or that a particular thing is not for you. With failure, improvement is sure to follow. Each new attempt to do something is a new lesson. Experiences where things don’t go your way will teach you how to make those experiences better the next time you come across similar situations. You will also learn about yourself through the importance of failure- about how much pain you can endure or how resourceful, strong, and intelligent you truly are.
5. Failing will teach you to have compassion for others.
Going through failure can be a painful experience, especially when its personal or professional failure. Failing can be hard on our self-esteem and can have us feeling down. But if you have gone through the pains of failure, chances are you will be there for others in their time of need. This is due to knowing what it’s like to struggle.
6. Success will be so much sweeter!
Failure will help you appreciate the struggle once you finally succeed. If you’ve watched enough “How They Got Famous” documentaries, you will know that even the most successful people out there had to struggle to get to where they are now. Once you do succeed, the struggle will become you badge of honor. It will be your validation that you hustled and worked hard to achieve and therefore you are more than deserving of your success. So embrace the struggle and the importance of failure. It will all be worth it one day!
7. Everyone Fails!
No one is perfect. Everyone at one point in their life has encountered failure. If you spend your life trying to avoid failure, you will be dutifully disappointed. No one is to big to fail or too perfect to fail. If you never experience failure, you will never learn anything new, you will never grow or evolve, and you will live one boring life. Failure gives you the opportunity to share experiences with others. With the importance of failure, you gain wisdom and with that wisdom, you can help someone else succeed.
