How Do Personal Failures and Societal Changes Shape Our Future?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around personal failures and their impact on individuals, exploring how these experiences shape future actions and perspectives. Participants share anecdotes from academic and professional contexts, reflecting on emotional responses and coping strategies. The conversation touches on themes of resilience, learning from mistakes, and societal changes affecting youth and employment.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants recount personal experiences of failure in academic settings, particularly in subjects like biology and math, and discuss the emotional responses such as anger and distress.
  • Others suggest that failure can be a valuable learning opportunity, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the idea that trial and error is essential for skill development.
  • A few participants reflect on the broader implications of failure in professional contexts, noting that certain professions inherently involve risk and the possibility of failure, which can be managed through self-care and perspective shifts.
  • Some express concern about societal changes affecting youth, including mental health issues and the impact of technology on job markets, suggesting these factors contribute to feelings of inadequacy among younger generations.
  • Several participants highlight the necessity of admitting mistakes and learning from them as a crucial part of personal growth and development.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that failure is a common experience that can lead to personal growth, but there are differing views on the nature of failure and its implications in academic versus professional contexts. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the extent to which societal changes impact individual experiences of failure.

Contextual Notes

Some statements reflect personal anecdotes that may depend on individual circumstances, educational systems, and professional environments. There is a lack of consensus on the effectiveness of different coping strategies and the role of societal factors in shaping perceptions of failure.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring themes of personal development, educators examining the impact of educational practices, and professionals reflecting on the nature of failure in their careers.

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If yes,How did you handle that failure ? Did you cry ? Were you angry ? Did you do something to compensate with it ? How did you deal with it ?
 
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Docscientist said:
If yes,How did you handle that failure ? Did you cry ? Were you angry ? Did you do something to compensate with it ? How did you deal with it ?
I kept failing in biology in 12th standard throughout the term including all the tests, midterm and mock board exam. I hated that subject. I hate memorizing. Professors encouraged us more and more to mug things up without understanding because they thought "we don't have much time and exams are coming". Of course we didn't have time because of so many bullshit tests. I did extremely good in Math, Physics and English but bio was a nightmare! I wasn't confident about the final exam but I had no choice. I can't believe I mugged up a lot of things and scored 66/100 in the final exam. I was so relieved! After that, thankfully I've never had to mug things up like that. But those failures made me realize that you can't expect everything in your own way. You have to do some things that you really hate but are really important. One of my zoology professors was very kind and his guidance really helped me get out of my bio-phobia. Thankfully, engineering has been really amazing so far.
 
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cnh1995 said:
I kept failing in biology in 12th standard throughout the term including all the tests, midterm and mock board exam. I hated that subject. I hate memorizing.
Well,I've got to go through what you went through for the next two years except for the fact that I hate math.My failures have always been due to math.I'd work so hard but when I fail,It would put in distress.So I adopted this new strategy of working smart.It's working quite a bit.
As far as biology,I don't think it is totally about mugging up.In fact the process of understanding it is very difficult that people give up to mugging up.Did you study in CBSE schools or the state board or matriculation ones ? I think only state board schools encourage mugging up of biology as far as I know.
 
Docscientist said:
I think only state board schools encourage mugging up of biology as far as I know.
I was in state board, yes. Almost everyone in our class hated bio but we had some excellent professors for maths and physics.
 
Is this about school or failing in life or professionally? In some professions failure is not only an option, but sometimes you can do everything right and still fail: doctor, lawyer, engineer. You learn to just brush it off. I've spent weeks building pieces of software that just didn't work the way I thought it would and had to do the whole thing over. I usually just give myself a break: watch some tv, had a beer and get some sleep. I usually try to give myself an easy puzzle to make myself feel better.

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Docscientist said:
If yes,How did you handle that failure ? Did you cry ? Were you angry ? Did you do something to compensate with it ? How did you deal with it ?
I have failed MANY TIMES and am proud to tell you that I will probably be failing more in the future. So admitting your mistakes or bad commitments then forgiving yourself would help release your stress in the first place. How after many ups and downs, I have had more chances to learn to acquire new skills to polish my old ones in cleaning up my own messes and others to control myself better. No failure made would up one's self-esteem and create more competitiveness as well as conflicts within one's own surroundings, and then certainly come more physical and mental sufferings.
 
newjerseyrunner said:
... I've spent weeks building pieces of software that just didn't work the way I thought it would and had to do the whole thing over...
:smile: Been there done that! I almost always run into the same situation with my current project. It is tiring yet fun filled tasks to enjoy myself though.
 
"The bigger they are the harder they fall" describes ego.
Take failure as a needed tuneup of one's humility factor.

The Creator had his chance to make me infallible but to my considerable frustration He chose otherwise.

I learned the best way to handle a mistake is to promptly admit it, make any needed repairs or personal amends, then dig into the basic science of what i missed that allowed it.

That's why they call it "The School of Hard Knocks" ,
and that's my only advanced degree.
 
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Docscientist said:
If yes,How did you handle that failure ? Did you cry ? Were you angry ? Did you do something to compensate with it ? How did you deal with it ?

Everyone has, Eddie Van Halen didn't come out of the womb a guitar genius, Albert Einstein wasn't born knowing Special relativity. Trial and error is how we develop any talents we have. Babies crawl until they walk. you can look at failure one of 2 ways. 1. As a lack of ability and therefore a (failure) 2. A temporary lack of skill and an ultimate (attempt at success)

I have had my share of attempts at success, in many different areas. If it was something I was truly interested in, I kept trying until success was achieved. Everything else I simply consider a learning experience. A man is only truly beaten when he admits and excepts defeat.
 
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  • #10
Failures are excellent learning opportunities... :wink:
 
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  • #11
DennisN said:
Failures are excellent learning opportunities... :wink:
Learning from a mistake = f( pain involved)
 
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  • #12
Movie quote:

"Failure is the fog through which we glimpse triumph"

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas A. Edison.
 
  • #13
A PhD is an exercise in repeated failure until desperation drives to you try something you'd never normally do - and then you end up finding what works.
 
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  • #14
dipole said:
A PhD is an exercise in repeated failure until desperation drives to you try something you'd never normally do - and then you end up finding what works.

I don't know much about advanced degrees
but that describes maintenance... and i suspect , most creative undertakings .
“You look at where you're going and where you are and it never makes sense, but then you look back at where you've been and a pattern seems to emerge.”
Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

old jim
 
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  • #15
Whenever I feel defeated, I just turn on my ultra-cool smartphone and play a Led Zeppelin song on youtube.
 
  • #16
Cried and got angry. Watch the simpsons at 6pm Reruns. Made me think life isn't so bad afterall. Some people in Life have it a lot worst.
I see youngsters today having no or little direction. It must feel bad. I once was in their shoes. Some of them are autistic, and or bipolar with or/wo children. I think what have I become. America's youth are on prescribed meds and or illegal meds. Which is scary. I know I am generalizing, but that is why some of them are un-hire-able. And they wonder why I do not hire them. They get jealous and angry. Throw rocks at me. Destroy my property. etc etc. Robots are coming. Driverless cars. Drones that deliver your mail/packages. Robots that will give you your meds. 50% of jobs in 2020 will be gig jobs. Scary. But maybe that is the way it is.
 

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