What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

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AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around the hypothetical scenario of what individuals would pursue if they knew they could not fail. Many participants express a desire to engage in ambitious projects, such as writing and publishing novels, solving complex scientific problems like the Riemann Hypothesis, or achieving world peace. Others mention personal aspirations, including raising strong and caring children or pursuing creative endeavors like stand-up comedy. Some participants humorously suggest extreme or fantastical ideas, such as becoming a benevolent world leader or even flying to Mars. A recurring theme is the notion that the challenge of potential failure adds value to success, with some expressing that knowing they couldn't fail might diminish their motivation. The conversation blends serious aspirations with lighthearted banter, showcasing a mix of personal dreams and whimsical thoughts.
  • #51
It would be boring if you knew you would succeed. It would take the challenge out of everything. Half the satisfaction of succeeding at anything is knowing that there was a chance that you could have failed, and you didnt. I think I would waste away if that ever came to be.
 
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  • #52
Meh?
 
  • #53
chaoseverlasting said:
It would be boring if you knew you would succeed. It would take the challenge out of everything. Half the satisfaction of succeeding at anything is knowing that there was a chance that you could have failed, and you didnt. I think I would waste away if that ever came to be.

It would be nice to not face any obstacles any more. And remember only you can't fail there will still be plenty of failure around you to keep things excited.
 
  • #54
chaoseverlasting said:
It would be boring if you knew you would succeed. It would take the challenge out of everything. Half the satisfaction of succeeding at anything is knowing that there was a chance that you could have failed, and you didnt. I think I would waste away if that ever came to be.
Perhaps it would be less fulfilling.

On the other hand, one could try to fail at other tasks to which tribdog alluded. :rolleyes:


But then if one tries to fail, and succeeds in failing, it that success?
 
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  • #55
realistically: id apply to berkeley haha

other wise, if i knew i couldn't fail, id try to fail. making me succeed at failing thus creating some sort of paradox. correct? sorry, its way to early :(
 
  • #56
tribdog said:
It would be nice to not face any obstacles any more. And remember only you can't fail there will still be plenty of failure around you to keep things excited.

:-p I ace all my exams with a perfect score. It would completely ostracize me from the rest of my class, but then that's more or less already happened. :-p
 
  • #57
hmmm...seeking the secret of living healthy & happy forever!
 
  • #58
I'd bring it up but Cy would smite me.
 
  • #59
Be an ologist of oligies (are they words)? or just be able to remember stuff.
 
  • #60
Math Is Hard said:
What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

I think I would try to write and publish a novel.

How about you?

Love people with all my heart.
 
  • #61
If I truly couldn't fail at anything I attempted?

I'm sure all kinds of geopolitical things would bend my attention eventually, but in terms of the more selfish pursuits: I'd solve the Riemann Hypothesis, prove P != NP, and get married.
 
  • #62
wolram said:
Be an ologist of oligies (are they words)? or just be able to remember stuff.

Being able to understand Wolie's posts:biggrin:
I meant all of them since I already get some of them!
 
  • #63
- Get the power and organization required to set the new full time hours standard down to 24 hours per week :biggrin:
 
  • #64
either

1) get up at 8am every day
or
2) make the world a global monarchy with me as king.

Not sure which, yet. I'd be a kind and generous king though, no worries.
 
  • #65
noumed said:
Love people with all my heart.
Wait a second, you can do that now, can't you? :bugeye:

All of you! All of you can start following your dreams now! You want to get up at 8 am every day and not fail? Do it tomorrow! Write a published novel? I'm sure you've already got some ideas for it or themes that are close to your heart that you would want to incorporate. Prove the Riemann Hypothesis? Well, you can try, and I don't know the specifics of it, but perhaps you should be open to disproving it as well!

We act as if we just get through today, or this week or year then tomorrow our dreams will come back to us and just happen. It doesn't happen to work that way. You have to do the things you love regardless of if you know it will completely work out, and you have to start doing them now, whether it is building and preparing your thoughts and resources or putting on some music and making the time to draw up some designs now.

Uh, anyway guys, I'm going to go have a ham sandwich.
 
  • #66
Mk said:
Uh, anyway guys, I'm going to go have a ham sandwich.
How did it go? You beat me by one post. I was going so say:
Become a software engineer, marry my sweetheart and have a couple of kids.
 
  • #67
Just for fun, I'd run for office with Sarah Palin as my running mate. Though that didn't seem to work so well for the last person to try that...
 
  • #68
If I couldn't fail, I would attempt to turn myself into a Q, and do it again.
 
  • #69
Take over the world.
 
  • #70
JasonRox said:
Take over the world.

Go ahead, its messed up enough as is. Best of luck staying in charge :biggrin:.
 
  • #71
BobG said:
See if I could find some way to fail. That would be kind of tough. If you intentionally sabotaged the project you were working on so that it would be unsuccessful, then you couldn't really say you failed when it was unsuccessful. Finding a way to unintentionally sabotage your project is a lot harder than just throwing it in the trash.

This sounds like it could be a Jim Carey movie.
 
  • #72
Hit on Oprah.
 
  • #73
boink liz hurley
 
  • #74
Fly a Piper Cherokee to Mars. It would probably have to be turbocharged though.
 
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