Are you really a failure?

There are those who say that failure builds character. They point out all successful people have failed in something. They conclude that the more failures you have, the more you grow.

You can find thousands—even hundreds of thousands—of blog posts touting one or more of the above maxims. These authors then argue that one should “celebrate failure.”

Such opinion pieces always get me scratching my head. I have the same reaction when I hear a friend confess with a sigh, “I failed.” Why would someone agree to label something they did that didn't work out “a failure”?

Let's say you poured time and energy into a feature article and no one responded.

Or you tried everything in a long marketing plan and no one responded.

It's natural to feel disappointed and upset. But should you consider the upshot “failure”? Are you viewing yourself as defeated by circumstances? You have lopped a stain onto your self-esteem that you then need to recover from.

Instead, you can observe what happened and go on to the next thing.

Failure does not bang you on the head. You accept that interpretation—or not.

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