Should we celebrate our failures?

To emphasize the obvious, failure is no fun.
It crushes the weak, the timid, the fragile.
It strengthens the brave, resilient and strong.
Failure toughens us.
It teaches valuable lessons.
We learn more from failure than success.

Thomas Edison failed gloriously.
He failed to create a light bulb.
More than 1,000 times.
Yet failures fired his curiosity.
It fueled his will to find an answer.
He kept learning from failure.
Do we celebrate his success?
We should. Can you imagine reading by firelight?
Shouldn’t we celebrate his failures as well?
Celebrate his tenacity and will to succeed?
His failures were where he learned the most.

Nassim Taleb has an intriguing idea.
He's an author and probability expert.
He says failure is good for all of us.
He makes this point in his new book:

“Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder”
He argues that without risks, we don’t get results.
Trial and error are creative.
We should celebrate failed entrepreneurs.
Like fallen soldiers, they gave their best. And we can learn from their failures.

Taleb argues for antifragile enterprises.
Fragile things like glass survive small shocks.
Stronger things like rocks survive most shocks.
Antifragile things are even better.
Antifragile things are improved by shock.
Shock tests and strengthens them.

Take restaurants and the economy.
Restaurants are a fragile enterprise.
Some fail - not because there are so many of them.
They fail because they don’t serve patrons well.
The economy is fragile, too.
Look at the last four years.
In contrast, health care is antifragile.
Long life spans guarantee that.

What about a trillion dollar restaurant bailout?
Lots of jobs and capital are at stake.
Look what Washington does with bailouts.
They bailed out banks and the auto industry.
Is your banker eager to give you a loan now?
Is Detroit making better cars?
What would result from a restaurant bailout?
Probably poorer food and lousier service.
More of us eating more often at home.

Bailouts don’t save jobs or industries.
They perpetrate mediocre performance.
Washington hasn’t figured that out yet.
But those of us in business certainly have.
Don’t settle for mediocrity.
Aim for the fences. Even if you fail.

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May God bless you.