The Success of Failure ― Unreality as a fragile image of existence

R3 Files Podcast ― The Success of Failure

Following on from the previous installment, I continue to discuss a range of viewpoints put forward by leading authors on the significance of using failure as a launch pad for success. In particular, how successful undertakings should be implemented. This includes the arguments offered by Andrew Carnegie, the powerful steel magnate and industrialist who believed that definitive purpose is the starting point of all achievement and its absence would automatically lead to profound obstacles.
I temper this binary version of success by arguing that individuals are presented with only one side of the "official success story" because essentially, there is a self-perpetuating myth which has achieved critical mass. For all intents and purposes this states, that all billionaire industrialists and entrepreneurs since the early 19th Century onwards achieved their success through a combination of hard work, honesty and personal drive. This narrative is now firmly entrenched within the stoic vision of the “American Dream” which makes a similar argument that personal commitment, sacrifice and working hard enough will allow an individual to “Make it BIG.”

But what about the success achieved by those who face adversity and personal challenges on a daily basis? For instance, those who endure debilitating mental or physical illness or perhaps those people afflicted by loneliness or social isolation. These individuals are all survivors and survival requires courage, and for me, this is REAL success. However in the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility. Most individuals avoid responsibility but it’s the one choice that makes a substantial difference in changing one’s life in the long term.

In the final section I conclude with some reflections on success and failure, arguing that failure is imperative for developing the tenacity and self-control necessary, to interact effectively with our complex environment. Indeed, the ability to draw on one’s perseverance is where the real foundation to success lies.

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