Two Types Of Failures

We all get to encounter two types of failures in life.

The first type is something only you know, while the second type is one that the people and the world around you get to know about.

The first type of failure happens when you refuse to explore new ideas or take up challenging opportunities because you are afraid- of failing or coming up short. This is a failure that only your conscience will be aware of and, over a lifetime, will manifest as a regret. Unfortunately, there is no learning you can take from this type of failure stemming from your unwillingness to try.

The second type of failure happens when you take up new challenges guided by an adventurous spirit, but things don’t work out. A good example would be someone who quits a cushy job to start an entrepreneurial venture, and it fails, or someone who participates in a marathon and gives up, unable to finish the race. In this type of failure, your ego takes a hit because the loss is visible to the others. But, there is also learning that comes from the failure. You toughen up, you improve your game, and you grow.

We should all try not to fail for the first reason, and equally, we should be ok with failing for the second reason. Because it means we tried.

Someone wise said it nicely. It is better to have tried and failed than failing to try.