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What is positive failure?

by Marco Moeschter
19 replies
Positive failure is when you don't quit. Positive failure is when you get frustrated, you fall down, but you get up again. Positive failure is when you're feeling trapped, but you keep going. In other words, positive failure is when you don't let the challenges get the best of you.

Positive failure is when you establish a goal behind your failure. The real goal behind positive failure is to have failure lead you to something more productive. It doesn't necessarily mean leading you to success but leading you to something with a more productive outcome.

In short, positive failure is all about setting up a process where you keep learning and trying until you eventually build a platform where you can reach the place where you need to go.

Did you suffer more from failure or positive failure?
#fail #failure #positive #self improvement #success
  • Profile picture of the author C G
    But what about negative failure?
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    • Profile picture of the author Marketing Strategist
      Originally Posted by C G View Post

      But what about negative failure?
      Sounds like negative failure would be failing at something then giving up...

      I really like this post because it is similar to what Napolean Hill talks about. Lately, I've been reading Outwitting the Devil and would like to share a quote from the book related to this thread:

      "... If they knew the difference between temporary defeat and failure, they would not quit when they meet with opposition from life. If they knew that every form of defeat, and all failures, bring with them the seed of unborn opportunity, they would keep on fighting and win. Success usually is but one short step beyond the point where one quits fighting [and gives up]"
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    • Profile picture of the author Marco Moeschter
      Originally Posted by C G View Post

      But what about negative failure?
      I thought anybody would ask this! Here is my definition from Negative Failure:

      Usually when people think about failure and talk about failure, they are talking about negative failure. Negative failure is a concept that we are all familiar with. Negative failure is the most common definition for failure.
      What is negative failure?

      It is the failure that you see all the time. It is when people quit. It is when people stop trying. It is when people give up on their dreams. This is the kind of failure people normally talk about. They think that this is the ultimate definition of failure.

      While negative failure is true, while negative failure is heavy, it is just one side of failure. You have to remember that the surest way to fail is to quit. Once you quit, you have failed for all time.

      Why?

      You are no longer taking action. You are no longer trying. You have cut yourself off from all possibilities of success. That is the ultimate definition of negative failure. Fortunately, this is just one aspect of it. It is by no means the complete definition of failure.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    I use failure all the time. I call it "Factoring Failure". It's part of my thinking big strategy. I know that I'm going to fail to some degree with everything I do (going on previous history...lol) so now I factor it in by just making the aim (or goal if you're into setting goals) much bigger. If I want a million, I'll aim for ten million, fail spectacularly (as expected) and still end up smelling of roses.

    Failure is standard and not always a disastrous thing...build it in.
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    • Profile picture of the author Marco Moeschter
      Originally Posted by Mr Bill View Post

      I use failure all the time. I call it "Factoring Failure". It's part of my thinking big strategy. I know that I'm going to fail to some degree with everything I do (going on previous history...lol) so now I factor it in by just making the aim (or goal if you're into setting goals) much bigger. If I want a million, I'll aim for ten million, fail spectacularly (as expected) and still end up smelling of roses.

      Failure is standard and not always a disastrous thing...build it in.
      That's a good way to use failure. Always aim big
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  • Profile picture of the author damiensuccess
    Originally Posted by Marco Moeschter View Post


    Positive failure is when you establish a goal behind your failure. The real goal behind positive failure is to have failure lead you to something more productive. It doesn't necessarily mean leading you to success but leading you to something with a more productive outcome.
    Awesome statement!
    Whether or not something turned out the way you expect it or not, is not what determines the direction of your success. Its your response to the outcome.
    Did you learn from it so you can take it with you? or..
    Did you Forget about it and move on?
    Positive failure vs negative failure..
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  • Profile picture of the author dailycoinsnet
    You always learn something from your mistakes so I like to think every failure as a positive one.
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  • Profile picture of the author James 0
    A positive failure is when you gained something from your mistakes.
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  • Profile picture of the author ErinWalsh
    I am among those that feels that a positive failure is a failure I take something away from. A lesson, a new outlook, new ideas, etc.

    A negative failure is a failure where I don't gain any of those things.

    I try to turn every failure into a positive failure, but I'm not always successful in that endeavor.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dain Supero
    Good point. As Marco mentioned there is usually always frustration attached to failure, not just to failing but even the thought of failing.

    Failure is often viewed in a horrible light and we are taught to avoid it at all costs. First our parents tell us this, then the media, then our teachers. If you fail, you lose.

    But remember that just because you failed does not.mean you ARE a failure. The best businessmen failed hundreds or even thousands of times before they succeeded. The best football players (by this I mean both American football and the original European football) miss/fail shots or throws all the time. They fail but that does not make them failures. And these are the elite of the elite.

    Failing is OKAY, as long as your find a lesson in it and as long as there is honour in it.

    Fail with honour rather than succeed by fraud
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    • Profile picture of the author Marco Moeschter
      Originally Posted by Dain Supero View Post

      Good point. As Marco mentioned there is usually always frustration attached to failure, not just to failing but even the thought of failing.

      Failure is often viewed in a horrible light and we are taught to avoid it at all costs. First our parents tell us this, then the media, then our teachers. If you fail, you lose.

      But remember that just because you failed does not.mean you ARE a failure. The best businessmen failed hundreds or even thousands of times before they succeeded. The best football players (by this I mean both American football and the original European football) miss/fail shots or throws all the time. They fail but that does not make them failures. And these are the elite of the elite.

      Failing is OKAY, as long as your find a lesson in it and as long as there is honour in it.

      Fail with honour rather than succeed by fraud
      Thanks for your thoughts and I really like the last quote!
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    anything worth doing i worth doing badly at first

    it is a line both gary halbert used..and i hear joel salatin use

    i was in food processing for a long while and from time to time we would try to run new product through our system..and it was definatly trial by error .

    anyway i have a personal draw for the building and figureing or and makeing things run more and more effectively ..as long as it seem possible ..

    i get real bored when thing are all figure out ..and it is the same task over and over
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    • Profile picture of the author Marco Moeschter
      Originally Posted by Odahh View Post

      anything worth doing i worth doing badly at first

      it is a line both gary halbert used..and i hear joel salatin use

      i was in food processing for a long while and from time to time we would try to run new product through our system..and it was definatly trial by error .

      anyway i have a personal draw for the building and figureing or and makeing things run more and more effectively ..as long as it seem possible ..

      i get real bored when thing are all figure out ..and it is the same task over and over
      I love it when things run smoothly but that's anyway almost never the case. So I see every failure as a chance or better said with my own words a positive failure.
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  • Profile picture of the author imrizk
    For me its when you understand that the failure was meant to be, and Its actuly a step stone in the way to success, its sometimes hard to member.
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  • Profile picture of the author WilloxPerez
    Great message! This reminds me a lot of the saying, there is always a seed of opportunity within every difficulty. We must always learn what we can from our failures and improve the next time. Instead of trying to forget these failures will be best to analyze them and discover the hidden lessons.

    This is why you must always give it your best without any regret as to what you could have done differently. =-d
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  • Profile picture of the author Trey Morgan
    I agree with your definition of positive failure and I think it was one of the keys to success. After reading lots of books and articles I now have the ability to notice when I'm letting failure get to me and I immediately think about all the famous success stories that came from failure.

    Think of failure as a reminder that you're taking action. If you're experiencing failure that means you're taking action, which is exactly what you should be doing. So then, why would you give up after failure if failure is simply a reminder that you're taking action?
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  • Profile picture of the author Tania Edwards
    Positive failing is probably the one from which you learn, you know the reasons why you failed, how you can improve, what measures can be taken in future to avoid failure.

    that's what I understand a concept of positive failure.
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