Sometimes Wrong is Right

My post on failure a few months ago, speaking to the arrogance of those who think they’re not prone to it, resonated with a lot of people.

Today, I look at the flip side: Those who are so afraid of being wrong that they freeze up and can’t make a decision and won’t take a chance at looking foolish in their failure.

Maybe it’s the culture they were brought up in. Maybe they were ridiculed by peers or parents just one time too many. Maybe they’re just not confident enough in their own abilities yet. Whatever the case is, their fear of getting a decision wrong is stopping them taking the next step that may, or may not, actually lead to failure.

I think the only reason I’ve been able to grow into the person I am today is because I’ve been willing to look really stupid in order to learn from it. I somehow figured out early on that life is a series of lessons. We can’t truly learn those lessons until we get them wrong at least once.

So try to relax and let go of the fear of failure. Looking foolish will only last a little while. Being afraid to choose because you don’t want to fail ends up lasting a lifetime – and by then, you have failed.