We’ve heard them all before:
Try and try until you succeed.
Quitters never win.
Never say die.
What we don’t hear enough is this:
You have to fail before you can succeed.
Sure, we all know someone who succeeded on the first attempt. You may even have your own experience of getting it right the first time. But we all know that this is more the exception than the norm.
Here are seven reasons why in life, failure is not an option but rather, a requirement.
1 - We get better when we fail.
When we fail, we practice more. When we fail again, we practice even more. There is no room for complacency in failure, which pushes us to continuously better ourselves.
2 - We learn more when we fail.
Failure makes us analyze and examine, not just why we failed or what we did wrong, but also the bigger questions like if there’s another way to succeed, what would eventual success on this endeavor bring, or why we’re doing it in the first place. Failure gives us a broader perspective.
3 - Success is sweeter after experiencing failure.
The harder we work for something, the more fulfilling it would feel when we finally achieve it. We empathize with athletes and celebrities as they shed tears when they finally get the championship or acting award they’ve worked so hard for. We’d have a few similar experiences in our own lives.
4 - Success that comes after failure is more well deserved.
Because it would mean that we’ve worked for our success, and that we’ve earned it, and that we’ve learned from our mistakes, and that we’ve paid our dues, and that our success was more a result of hard work rather than dumb luck.
5 - Nobody’s perfect.
We can get it right the first time some of the time, but we can never get it right the first time all the time. Sometimes, experts and veterans also screw it up despite their experience and expertise. While the saying practice makes perfect may not be perfectly accurate, there’s no denying that practice makes us better and gives us a better chance at success.
6 - Success is the destination. Failure is the journey.
Said another way, you can’t get to success without going through failure. In many ways, failure is an integral part in the process of pursuing success. And the best way of reaching your destination is to not take shortcuts and to always be alert and aware of your surroundings throughout your journey.
7 - Failure gives our lives better narratives.
The story of your life would make a better movie if you go through challenging struggles and painful setbacks before finally tasting victory. At the very least, you’d enjoy telling your adventures to your friends, then to your children, and finally your grandchildren.
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