Failure- A Stepping Stone or An Obstacle?

F-a-i-l-u-r-e. This is the word that many fear. Not only students but also many great innovators and scientists. It is a word that many fear, avoid, or dread. For some, it may lead to embarrassment, shame, disappointment, or even worse demotivation. As we go down memory lane, many great scientists have used failures as stepping stones and led a journey to success. But the main question is is failure an obstacle or a stepping stone?

Failure as a Stepping Stone

In the modern era, many teens and young people fail to understand that some situations in life are unavoidable, and surround themselves with deep anxiety and fears. A feeling of nervousness and negativity is evoked in them which can lead to many health problems like depression, loneliness,

and disturbed sleep cycle. Those who take failure as a stepping stone move forward in life and become experienced. Failure is often considered an obstacle that can never be recovered or crossed. But we must think about the entrepreneurs, innovators, and scientists who frequently face failures before achieving success. It is believed that Thomas Edison failed approximately 10,000 times while working on the light bulb! If he had given up long before then the whole world would be deprived of such a necessity. Failure can clarify what doesn't work, which can be just as

important as knowing what does. In this way, failure is a step toward improvement, pushing us to try again with greater wisdom and understanding.

Failure as An Obstacle

It is believed that fear is the greatest enemy of mankind. If we take up our failures as an obstacle then it can lead to discouragement, self-doubt, low self-esteem, or giving up. If we don’t learn from our mistakes and let failures define us then it can block our progress. When we fear failure too much, it can paralyze us, preventing us from taking the risks necessary for growth. Failure can shake our confidence, especially if we tie our self-worth to our successes. For example, when plans do not turn out as expected, it is common for failure to be absorbed as an inability, which may lead to self-reproach or a lack of faith in one’s techniques. Dealing and combating this fear only leads to its worst form, the fear of failing should only sponsor us to try again. This can create a vicious cycle where the fear of failing again keeps us from trying in the first place. Of course, fear can drive us to perfectionism – which is the obsessive pursuit of unrealistically high standards to prevent ourselves from failing. Perfectionism might cause us to skip starting, finishing, or sending projects, as we think that perfect is the only pass mark. This kind of mindset can prolong development or even hinder the completion of tasks which can be valuable learning experiences. So, ultimately failure can be both an obstacle as well as a stepping stone. It can change its form according to how you perceive and respond to it. It is indeed crucial for us to identify our mistakes and focus on how to improve them instead of catching ourselves in a frenzy of fear.