Schools In.

[LJP]

I am going to put it like this:
If you hit the bulls eye every time, the target is too close.
Of course you can fail, every mistake is a failure. These failures are what spur us on to learn and adapt, and become better at what we do.
Failure is the best teacher.

 

[Bill Gruby]

Let me run this by you. It is a personal observation. I say you cannot fail. Fail is another Myth. If you get to the point where you think you have failed it only means one thing, you don't know enough to go any further. Stop there and get the knowledge and pick back up again. Now you bust thru the stoppage and proceed toward the end.

So my personal view on this is no you cannot fail if you don't let yourself fail.

As for the mistakes made along the way, to me they are not failure, just another stone in the road.

All of the posts so far are good points. Keep them coming, the new guys are watching.

"Billy G"

 

[Terrywerm]

Mechanical parts can fail. Welded joints can fail.

People that give up on a goal do fail.

People who persevere do not fail, no matter how many mistakes are made along the way.

My $.02

 

[David S]

Well I can say that for sure after spending considerable time making a part and it turns out that it is undersize and hence fails to work in the assembly I am working on. I made a mistake working back and worth between metric and imperial. I don't consider myself a failure, I simply made a mistake and I know exactly where and why, however the part still fails to perform its function.

David

 

[coolidge]

Yes but when failure comes I won't even notice, I'll be too busy looking good! (Bruce Lee fans may get that one)

 

[hermetic]

I agree, there is no such thing a failure as long as you learn from it. The problem with some people is that they fear failure, and so put off decisions that need making, in order to come to the "right" decision and therefore avoid failure. I find that if you are really stuck, making the wrong decision is better than making no decision at all, because then you know (have learned!) what you should do! Fear of failure which causes immobility in the decision process can actually cause failure, unless you learn to lose your fear of decision making!

Does that make any sense? You may guess I have a family member in mind, and have observed this process over many years ;-)
Phil

 

[chuckorlando]

I would say thats the case, in some degree, with most new guys. Including myself. Except in my case, I will go find the info I need at some point and carry on. As do most if they really want what ever is on the other side of that "fear".

I agree, there is no such thing a failure as long as you learn from it. The problem with some people is that they fear failure, and so put off decisions that need making, in order to come to the "right" decision and therefore avoid failure. I find that if you are really stuck, making the wrong decision is better than making no decision at all, because then you know (have learned!) what you should do! Fear of failure which causes immobility in the decision process can actually cause failure, unless you learn to lose your fear of decision making!

Does that make any sense? You may guess I have a family member in mind, and have observed this process over many years ;-)
Phil

 

[Bill Gruby]

I agree, there is no such thing a failure as long as you learn from it. The problem with some people is that they fear failure, and so put off decisions that need making, in order to come to the "right" decision and therefore avoid failure. I find that if you are really stuck, making the wrong decision is better than making no decision at all, because then you know (have learned!) what you should do! Fear of failure which causes immobility in the decision process can actually cause failure, unless you learn to lose your fear of decision making!

Does that make any sense? You may guess I have a family member in mind, and have observed this process over many years ;-)
Phil

What you have said makes perfect sense. That one word is what makes personal failure a Myth. The word is fear. Get over it and failure will not matter anymore. I learned to move on from several hex nuts in the back of the head, My Mentor was a real bear. If I stopped to think too long fear set in and the nut came, After a while the nut thing gets old. You think just long enough the figure it out and get it done.

"Billy G"

 

[Andre]

Failure only happens when you whole heatedly give up. A scrapped project is not a failure, it's a learning experience that WILL come in handy later.

 

[Rbeckett]

I have never failed. but I have not met deadlines and made defective parts. Making a defective part is a lesson that you need to learn so you don't repeat it again in the future, otherwise you have closed your mind and failed to learn. If your mind is closed you are destined to repeat the same mistake again and again till you open your mind and learn the original lesson.

Bob