Failure As A Feature

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

I know it’s a cliché to say this but we learn far more from our mistakes than we do from our successes.

The reasons are obvious, of course. Through our mistakes, we gain practical experience in what not to do - and it’s this experience that generates knowledge that is seared into our subconscious, often painfully so. 

And yet, when we look back on our projects, our experiences, our careers, we treat our mistakes with disdain. As if they’re something to be embarrassed (or worse, ashamed) of. 

But the fact of the matter is that, more often than not, the only way to learn is by trial and error. By trying things that (we hope) will generate the results we’re looking for. But, by definition, much of what we try will not work, and so we need to keep trying different ideas until something does. 

So, really, we need to expect to make mistakes and, as hard as this sounds, embrace them. 

We’re not taught that, of course. Instead, we’re taught that we need to be flawless, and that successful people don’t make mistakes. While the intent behind that thinking is good - despite the fact that it’s wrong - the practical implication isn’t so good.

Repeated enough times, what we end up taking away is that we should be conservative, doing things that will not yield mistakes. We choose easy paths and low risk options. 

And when we do make mistakes, we hide them away. Because we’re embarrassed. Because we don’t want anyone to see them. 

Because we believe that failure is a bug, when in fact, it’s not. Failure is a feature. 

Embracing that mindset is difficult, but necessary.