Response to Failure Essay.

I find this article to be very thought-provoking, simply because of the stream of consciousness that I am now experiencing. I found the story of the author reading about the dangers of childbirth interesting, mostly because I interpret it to mean that failure is more common, or in this particular case, more easily accomplished, than success - but I don't believe in that. I think the reason failure upsets me so much when I experience it is because I'm not used to it. And that's not to say that I'm perfect and a champion at life in general, but simply to say that more often than not, I am satisfied with my work, or at least content. I view failure to be the complete opposite of satisfaction - I have failed if my work, whether a photograph, an essay, a batch of brownies, or a conversation - does not leave me feeling like I've taken one step, no matter how small, to understanding/reaching happiness, which is my ultimate goal in life. Failure occurs when I am uncomfortable with the way something turns out. Therefore, it is impossible for another person to convince me that I have failed, if I don't think that I have. Which is partially due to my stubbornness and pride, but also partly to do with my belief that a person must be somewhat selfish. I say/do/feel what I want (within reason... usually), and if I'm satisfied with a project, it is (probably) impossible to convince me otherwise. That being said, I think there are different levels of success, or at least whatever not-failure is, but once one drops below that line, it is failure, no matter how extreme. Sometimes I feel content with a project, but not elated. That is not failure, but certainly not perfection (which is an entirely different conversation, but my current word of choice). 

I appreciate the quote "the risks of failure add value to success". I always feel pride when I finish something and am happy with it, because I know that the outcome could have been different.

Another paragraph that I found interesting was about hiding our failures, and protecting our friends from their failures - I find myself doing this often. When speaking to people about potential mistakes, my brain is constantly on over-drive, one step ahead in a conversation, wondering if my next comment is going to cause pain. I constantly rephrase my thoughts to make my words easier on the ears.

"One could even say that acknowledged failure does not exist" - not true. If you fail, recognizing that failure doesn't erase it, it simply helps you learn from the mistake and hopefully helps you from making the same one again. It may be relieving to recognize failure, but it certainly doesn't eradicate it.