I did horrifically at my coursework in both Greek (withdrew midway through second semester) and Latin (managed one semester and a C on my transcript). I’ve begun countless projects that now sit as 750 word brain-dump documents on my computer. I’ve promised myself I would become consistent in language study or blogging or something and have always fallen off the wagon just a couple weeks in. I have had far more rejections of pitches and article submissions than I’ve ever had acceptances by orders of magnitude. I think it’s so great to start this conversation and recognize all of the failures that contribute to any successes we may have. Thanks for sharing!
Enlightening post! I've saved this quote for future reference - "All of your failures are a testament to the fact that you keep trying to do something." So well said.
I also think that it is easier to talk about failure, once you're out of the phase/stage of failure. It is tougher to talk about an illness while being ill, but easier once you've overcome the illness and are in better health. "All of your failures are a testament to the fact that you are on a hero's journey and you've overcome a lot more than what anyone else (or even yourself) might know or give credit for".
This post gave me a sense of relief. Having multiple failures and dead projects can be discouraging, especially when the people around you aren’t the “exploratory type.” The failure is often bitter sweet though. It hurts in the moment but often shines light on the areas you can improve.
I really needed this post right now, Jared. I recently got to know that the second of the two colleges I applied to for a Master's in Law degree also didn't take me. This was of course saddening, and this is actually the first time in my life that I'm not "The bright kid who is always the first choice." Difficult to digest.
But this is also a wake up call, I realised upon reflecting upon it, that I never really wanted to do Law. The plan is to persue it as a professional career to pay the bills, and indulge in my love for literature and philosophy along the way. In India we can easily start our practice with a Bachelor's degree. There's no reason I need to do Master's other than to satisfy some pride in me, the feeling that I can do it. I can start my practice now, and instead enroll in online, distant, self paced courses in subjects that I truly love!
This post struck a resonant chord with me and reminded me of something the famous Hungarian polyglot, Kató Lomb, said: “I like to say that we should study languages because languages are the only thing worth knowing even poorly" We can fail at achieving a conversational level in a language, but even here our failure can be of use. My broken Italian can build bridges with other people and it may even help me to get on the right train and avoid heading off in the wrong direction.
Thanks for the post. There’s a lot of interesting philosophy about failure, of course, and I’d specifically recommend Costica Bradatan, “In Praise of Failure” published last year. Basically, failure is necessary to the human condition
I did horrifically at my coursework in both Greek (withdrew midway through second semester) and Latin (managed one semester and a C on my transcript). I’ve begun countless projects that now sit as 750 word brain-dump documents on my computer. I’ve promised myself I would become consistent in language study or blogging or something and have always fallen off the wagon just a couple weeks in. I have had far more rejections of pitches and article submissions than I’ve ever had acceptances by orders of magnitude. I think it’s so great to start this conversation and recognize all of the failures that contribute to any successes we may have. Thanks for sharing!
Enlightening post! I've saved this quote for future reference - "All of your failures are a testament to the fact that you keep trying to do something." So well said.
I also think that it is easier to talk about failure, once you're out of the phase/stage of failure. It is tougher to talk about an illness while being ill, but easier once you've overcome the illness and are in better health. "All of your failures are a testament to the fact that you are on a hero's journey and you've overcome a lot more than what anyone else (or even yourself) might know or give credit for".
This post gave me a sense of relief. Having multiple failures and dead projects can be discouraging, especially when the people around you aren’t the “exploratory type.” The failure is often bitter sweet though. It hurts in the moment but often shines light on the areas you can improve.
I really needed this post right now, Jared. I recently got to know that the second of the two colleges I applied to for a Master's in Law degree also didn't take me. This was of course saddening, and this is actually the first time in my life that I'm not "The bright kid who is always the first choice." Difficult to digest.
But this is also a wake up call, I realised upon reflecting upon it, that I never really wanted to do Law. The plan is to persue it as a professional career to pay the bills, and indulge in my love for literature and philosophy along the way. In India we can easily start our practice with a Bachelor's degree. There's no reason I need to do Master's other than to satisfy some pride in me, the feeling that I can do it. I can start my practice now, and instead enroll in online, distant, self paced courses in subjects that I truly love!
This post struck a resonant chord with me and reminded me of something the famous Hungarian polyglot, Kató Lomb, said: “I like to say that we should study languages because languages are the only thing worth knowing even poorly" We can fail at achieving a conversational level in a language, but even here our failure can be of use. My broken Italian can build bridges with other people and it may even help me to get on the right train and avoid heading off in the wrong direction.
Thanks for the post. There’s a lot of interesting philosophy about failure, of course, and I’d specifically recommend Costica Bradatan, “In Praise of Failure” published last year. Basically, failure is necessary to the human condition
The question must be asked: who is/was your main on Smash Bros? Also, which version of Smash Bros?
Original on the N64, and I always played Pikachu.