Definition Of Failure Essay

Everyone faces failure in their lives at one point or another, and sometimes it can be disappointing . Society has conditioned us to believe that being wrong or messing up is something to fear, and we are taught early on that being right every time is synonymous with being successful. We are told that failure is unacceptable, when really, failure is exactly what helps us learn and grow. Failures, when accepted as new opportunities rather than setbacks, help us become more successful because they allow us to learn from our mistakes and teach us important lessons that we can then implement to achieve even further success in the future, which makes us feel good about persevering and achieving our goals, even if it takes some struggling to attain

There is not an exact way to measure them because their definitions are different for everyone. Their meanings are open to interpretation, depending on what you do or do not consider to be an achievement. For example, getting a B on a test would be looked upon as a great accomplishment for some, but for others who have higher expectations for themselves, getting a B is interpreted as a bad grade and more of an inadequacy than a success. It is up to you to figure out what your standards are for what you consider to be a success or a failure since there is no real way to determine a set meaning for them.

Regardless of your perception of successes and failures, what you personally consider to be failures are something that should be treated with acceptance and can allow you to learn from your mistakes. Many professionals in the educational department have found this to be true, including Thomas R. Hoerr, head of New York City School, leader of the ISACS New Heads Network, and author of Fostering Grit: How Do I Prepare My Students for the Real World?, who says, “We want our students to see that by coming up short and struggling to understand, they are working their way along an essential pathway to improvement, to ultimate success”

It is also believed that when people fail, they “lose interest in whatever they’re doing (say learning), and prefer easier tasks” (Stauss). This is not the case, however, because although failing may be disappointing at the time, the long term benefits outweigh the discouragement if setbacks are handled correctly. Thomas R. Hoerr refers to his methods of teaching his students to further their grit by allowing them to struggle and overcome their setbacks as “neither easy nor fun,” but “essential to increase students’ chances for success- and to increase their confidence in themselves.” Failing may not a pleasant experience in the short term, but the long term effects of this are of higher levels of success later on. Mark Ray describes how Dr. Tim Elmore affirms the idea that easy, immediate success is not actually helpful by stating that he has “lost track of the number of college deans who’ve told him that 26 is the new 18. ‘When kids move back home, it’s generally not a sour economy that’s to blame. I graduated into a horrible economy but never dreamed of moving back home,’ Elmore says. ‘We have done a better job of protecting than preparing our kids for the future’” (Ray). Many parents try to overprotect their kids because they don’t want to see them fail, which is understandable because everyone wants to