How Failure Is the Stepping Stone to Success

In President Obama’s speech, there was one phrase that was worth noting: Failure is a necessary devil. We face many difficulties in our lives, which we may find them discouraging, disheartening and dejecting. After all, success and failure are both inevitable that everyone experiences numerous ups and downs as time goes by. Failure is something that makes you disappointed, but at the same time it can gives you motivation for improvements. The point is that whether failure lifts you up or set you back eventually, all depends on how you treat and look at failure.

First of all, on the plus side, failure allows you to identify your shortcomings. When you fail in a task, apart from discouragement, this experience of failure provides a valuable opportunity for you to reflect and evaluate. When you look back on what you have done, you will notice that there is something that needs to be improved, modified. Then it is high time for you to make necessary changes and mend the loopholes, so that the same mistakes will not be made in the future. This is all brought about by failure if you look at it this way. This is a platform for you to improve and be upgraded.

However, sometimes severe failure can cause detrimental effects physically and mentally. We must note that not everyone can bear the impulse and pressure brought about by failure and that may harm one’s well being. From news, we can easily notice that there are cases that people take up drinking, drug abusing or even commit suicide because that cannot stand failure. They keep on thinking negatively and eventually failure harms them in different ways. They may lose hope on their lives and future, lack motivation to brace up and restart. More seriously, they may then rely on assistant from others and have low self-value and self-esteem. This may affect their future and failure in these circumstances brings negative effects on people.

In conclusion, failure has both positive and negative effects. On one hand it