Failure leads to success... right?

If you search for“quotes about failure”on Google, you may some inspiring ones:

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm”

“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, and learning from failure after failure”

“Failure is success in the making”… and it is, right?… RIGHT?!

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Well… Sort of, but not always?

Failure can be a scary concept, and often, the only time it’s accepted is when it’s turned into a dragon that is eventually slain by the hero—success. Because it’s scary, because it’s embarrassing, and because it’s something we want to distance ourselves from, turning failure into a villain is an unavoidable step in our glorious journey toward success.

These stories inspire us, give us courage, and encourage us to become the next Steve Jobs, the new Oprah, or simply a better version of ourselves.

But honestly, those stories aren’t something you can just copy. Those stories are shaped by a whole range of factors—race, gender, financial support, and a whole host of other factors and privileges. They’re just one story among a vast array of attempts and efforts.

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It’s great to be optimistic, it’s great to dream, but unrealistic expectations tend to cloud our view of reality. Telling only those stories where that dastardly villain—failure—was eventually defeated and everyone rode off into the sunset only amplifies the negative impact of failure and shame in our lives (and in some cases, that’s all it takes to make someone give up and never try again)

So why bother, then? If success isn't the light at the end of the tunnel, what is it?

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Don’t worry, we haven’t turned into Fuckup Nihilists.

There is something there, and it’s resilience. It’s the determination to keep moving forward, the journey, the lessons learned, and the tunnel itself that will help you grow—not the light at the end of it.

Life tends to be unfair. And we need reassurance. So when we face hardships and setbacks in life, we need to feel that it’s all worth it, that it will all pay off someday. But we should be aware that failure may may lead to success, and we need to reframe and redefine what failure is.

Failure is inevitable. No one can really know what will happen with every attempt you make—so what are you going to do about it?

We say, let’s get out there, fail, try again, and repeat —and let’s find out what happens together.

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