Rise of Tribes

Today’s post is a little longer than my usual but given the topic – I believe all of us can relate & would be willing to invest a few additional reading minutes.

“What if I failed?” This is a question that each one of us has encountered on a regular basis. Fear of failure or perception of a ‘failed’ attempt or simply an attempt that ‘did not go as expected’. This ties in with my previous 2 posts on overthinking and procrastination as well, as they are part of the problem.

That question lingered in my mind every time I stood at the edge of something new. When projects didn’t pan out, rapport with people not built, outcome of an assignment did not go as expected, disappointment was real and heavy.

But gradually, I realized failure wasn’t an ending—it was a lesson, a detour that built resilience and sparked unexpected growth. Not to sound too preachy, but suggestion is to take each setback as a nudge to reflect, adapt, and try again, as we learn from the previous attempt.

And knowing – IT IS OK TO FAIL. You learnt a new way of ‘how it wont work’ as Thomas A Edison said. (Sorry for the all-caps, there is no ‘Bold’ text option!)

Below are some quotes that many of us have heard in this context. What is your favorite quote that helps you deal with a ‘Failed attempt’

“Failure is success in progress.” — Albert Einstein

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.” — Confucius

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill

“If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” — Elon Musk

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” — Ken Robinson