It's difficult because we tend to overrate the pain of failure. We fear it too much. That's research that emerges from psychology. We think it's going to be worse than it really is. And, I think, as we get a bit older, really after we leave school or college, we quickly stop experimenting.
Interpretation
Fear of failure often holds us back from trying new things.
This quote highlights how people frequently exaggerate the pain and consequences of failure, leading to an irrational fear that prevents experimentation and personal growth. As we grow older and move past educational environments, we tend to become more risk-averse, which inhibits our willingness to take chances and explore new opportunities.
In practice
Using this quote in a workshop about embracing risk in business.
Economists have allowed themselves to walk into a trap where we say we can forecast, but no serious economist thinks we can. You don't expect dentists to be able to forecast how many teeth you'll have when you're 80. You expect them to give good advice and fix problems.
In certain businesses, I would say 10 failures to one success is a perfectly acceptable ratio. Because the failures die pretty quickly, they're not that expensive, and the successes can be really huge.
Success Comes Through Rapidly Fixing our Mistakes Rather than Getting Things Right the First Time.
We faced it and did not resist. The storm passed through us and around us. It's gone, but we remain.
Karate is not a game. It is not a sport. It is not even a system of self-defense. Karate is half physical exercise and half spiritual. The karateist who has given the necessary years of exercise and meditation is a tranquil person. He is unafraid. He can even be calm in a burning building.
The goal of any true resistance is to affect outcomes, not just to vent. And the only way to affect outcomes and thrive in our lives is to find the eye in the hurricane and act from that place of inner strength.
Many claim that it is insane to resist the system; but actually, it is insane not to.
There is one front and one battle where everyone in the United States-every man, woman, and child-is in action, and will be privileged to remain in action throughout this war. That front is right here at home, in our daily lives, and in our daily tasks.
When I was at Baylor, I wasn't fully happy because I couldn't be all the way out. It feels so good saying it: I am a strong, black lesbian woman.
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