On last week's Econtalk, host Russ Roberts discussed the salutary benefits of failure with Megan McArdle, author of the recent The Up Side of Down. McArdle forcefully argues that, as the book's subtitle says, "failing well is the key to success." I agree, but have to note (as Russ Roberts does) that failing well does not guarantee success.
Of greater interest to me than that principle was the theme of the first thirty or so minutes of the conversation: the crippling refusal to take risks which can result from a fear of failure. Being willing to risk failure is necesary to succeed at any noteworthy endeavor; refusing to risk failure can also be a refusal to experience the satisfaction and joy of acquiring a new skill or exploring the unknown. I was reminded of some conversations Mrs. Curmudgeon and I have been having about how to educate the curmudgelings, as it's become apparent they need to learn that failure is not a referendum on self-worth but an opportunity to learn something new. Along similar lines, I wonder whether a fear of failing at life draws some Christians to rule-based schemes which, absent any apparent Biblical warrant, promise a pain-free future for one's family.
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