Asking about someone’s definition of success is easy, not because they have it, but because the society has already defined it for all of us- irrespective of the circumstances and the sphere. However, asking about someone’s definition of failure is a very unwarranted query with not a substantial answer, obviously because the society hasn’t reduced our effort by defining it for us as it considers failure unworthy of a definition like untouchables considered by the brahmins.
Failure is a taboo subject, mere talking of which is not right and committing it makes you the ultimate sinner! In fact, quite often it is that unknowingly our parents and relatives make us realize that.
Thinking of it as a practice that might have been introduced in the society to encourage people to succeed and work hard and thus contribute to the growth of society and oneself, over the period of time, this portrayal of failure has done more harm than good. In a culture that advocates change as the only constant, the concept and perspective associated to failure has remained unevolved for centuries now and thus lost the meaning for which it was created. And the extent of this damage can be observed in the fact that the people have even stopped trying which in turn has led to the stagnation in the birth of new ideas. The fear of failure that was stilled long ago into the minds of the people still envelops them like a cobweb. The most worrying consequence is that even if people have now started to open up to failure with the change in the mindsets of the society, they haven’t been able to come to terms with it. It is easier to accept failure against the society’s parameter with support but very difficult to accept failure against the parameter of our own expectations for ourself. It is one thing to accept the society’s norms and another to alter your own to redefine failure. This is where, the age-old paradigm of failure has done the most harm. The wound is deep here and that is what we need to address by bringing about an evolution in the concept of failure- realizing the fact that not unless you have tried, will you fail, and not unless you try will you have a chance to succeed.
Contemplations 