Very few people are afraid of failure as students. Some students even take extreme measures such as cheating in an exam to avoid failing a test. However, the fear is not justified because everyone fails at one point in their life. Even successful inventors like Thomas Edison had to undergo multiple attempts for their inventions to work.

While we know that failure is inevitable, students are often punished or even shamed when it happens. While most people try to find creative ways to avoid failure, the real question is why we go through the trouble to avoid something that’s needed to realize meaningful change?

You Cannot Escape Failure

First off, failure happens so that we can learn how to do something in a better way. For example, when children attempt to walk, they’ll miss a step or two and fall down. Normally, they’ll get up, correct their stride, and eventually learn how to walk. While failing at something is perfectly normal, the school curriculum has made it to be some sort of crime that inadvertently impacts a student’s ability to learn.

Many students and even adults are highly invested in their endeavors. That is why they feel drained when they do not succeed. This bad aftertaste following an unsuccessful attempt makes one afraid of failure. Additionally, the school system was developed, in part, to help students avoid such occurrences. As a result, most kids do not get the chance to learn from their mistakes because they are shielded from the psychological effects of failure.

Failure in Academia

The American education system shoulders some of the blame for students being afraid of failure. There is a lot of focus on passing and getting good grades than actual learning. For example, since one needs a solid GPA to get into college, most students will opt for relatively ‘straightforward’ courses even if they don’t have any long-term benefits.

On the other hand, failure is not a death sentence as it has been made to seem. Many lessons in life are hardwired into our brains after an unfortunate slip-up, e.g., learning to walk. Through failure, we are able to reflect on our actions, ask questions and use the feedback to modify our approach to a certain problem. That is why most inventors encountered failure multiple times before finding out optimal solutions.

Failure mainly incites one to alter their problem-solving method. However, the secret of success following a setback lies in our brain. Once we encounter failure, we often become uncomfortable with ourselves, and the discomfort forces us to act or relive the cycle of trying and failing. Also, the challenge to become better at something sparks resilience which allows students to seek lasting solutions.

Finally, failure is an incredible teacher of social skills. For one, once you fail at something, you’re likely to seek out counsel to learn where you went wrong, receive positive or negative feedback and act appropriately after that. Furthermore, there is a shared learning experience when your mates are equally stuck, and you have the opportunity to learn together. These shared moments provoke camaraderie inside and outside the classroom.