How do you deal with failure? | Page 2 | INFJ Forum

How do you deal with failure?

Some food for thought:

"When Abraham Lincoln was seven, he and his family were forced out of their home and he had to start working to help support his parents. When he was nine, his mother died. As a child, he was kicked in the head by a horse, and once he nearly drowned. Throughout his life, he suffered from malaria (twice), syphilis, and smallpox. At age twenty-one, he failed in business. At age twenty-three, he ran for the state legislature, lost his job, and was turned down for law school. That same year, he started another business on borrowed money, but a year later he was bankrupt. At age twenty-six, he was engaged to be married, but his fiancee died; soon afterward, his only sister died during childbirth. Lincoln hit an emotional low and took to his bed for six months.
At age twenty-eight, he was defeated as speaker of the state legislature. At age thirty-three, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and lost. He tried again at age thirty-nine and lost again. He ran for the U.S. Senate at age forty-five and lost. He tried for his party's vice presidential nomination at age forty-seven and lost. And lost again for the U.S. Senate at age forty-nine. Despite all this, at age fifty-one, Abraham Lincoln was elected the sixteenth president of the United States."


"I have been too familiar with disappointments to be very much chagrined" - Abraham Lincoln
 
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chulo said:
Some food for thought:

"When Abraham Lincoln was seven, he and his family were forced out of their home and he had to start working to help support his parents. When he was nine, his mother died. As a child, he was kicked in the head by a horse, and once he nearly drowned. Throughout his life, he suffered from malaria (twice), syphilis, and smallpox. At age twenty-one, he failed in business. At age twenty-three, he ran for the state legislature, lost his job, and was turned down for law school. That same year, he started another business on borrowed money, but a year later he was bankrupt. At age twenty-six, he was engaged to be married, but his fiancee died; soon afterward, his only sister died during childbirth. Lincoln hit an emotional low and took to his bed for six months.
At age twenty-eight, he was defeated as speaker of the state legislature. At age thirty-three, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and lost. He tried again at age thirty-nine and lost again. He ran for the U.S. Senate at age forty-five and lost. He tried for his party's vice presidential nomination at age forty-seven and lost. And lost again for the U.S. Senate at age forty-nine. Despite all this, at age fifty-one, Abraham Lincoln was elected the sixteenth president of the United States."


"I have been too familiar with disappointments to be very much chagrined" - Abraham Lincoln
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Then he got shot and was the biggest failure of all. So he died.
 
I think there's some sort of thrill in the risk of failure. Whether it's a business venture, a relationship, sport, perspective, etc. I don't know if it's cut out for everyone. I know people who take very few risks and seem quite content. My life has been full of risks and failures, but these days I find myself becoming more reserved about what I'm willing to risk. I think perceiving whatever I'm doing, including life itself, as a journey instead of an end result makes a big difference. Yeah, and I agree, the level of investment one has makes a big difference. My perspective is changing about this and I don't think I've quite formed a position yet.
 
Sometimes I rationalize any fear of failure by the idea that I might as well make all my mistakes early. Its easier to explain away than mistakes made when you are su pposed to be an artisan of your craft.
 
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