Scientists don’t see an unexpected outcome as a personal failure. They see it as data.
Thomas Edison is famously quoted as saying, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Edison viewed failure as simply a necessary ingredient for innovation and discovery. Rather than giving up or viewing his failures as personal shortcomings, he used them as data points to guide his next steps. This approach ultimately led him to the successful development of the light bulb.
Scientists analyse their results, consider potential variables that may have influenced the experiment, and adjust their hypothesis accordingly.
They use this information to inform their next experiment and continue the process of learning and discovery.
Taking this approach to failure in our personal lives is not only more productive, but it's also backed by science.
Carol Dweck, a leading researcher on the psychology of success, found that people who hold a "growth mindset"—those who view their abilities as something that can be developed through effort – tend to be more successful in their endeavours.
To develop a growth mindset, you must embrace challenges and see failure as an opportunity to learn, rather than a reflection of your worth.
If your only objective is to get the right answer, every wrong answer looks like a failure.
If your objective is to get closer to the truth, every failure is a success.
Winston Churchill faced many challenges and setbacks as he led Britain through World War II.
Notably, he said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
Experiment wildly. Gather more data. Iterate on every outcome. Have the fortitude to keep going.
