Definition: Failure

How would you define failure?

At what point do you decide that something is no longer salvageable?

My first thought was a quote, I think it was by Thomas Edison? "I have not failed, I have just found 10 000 ways that won't work".

Anyway... failure... I think the trick is not to keep going on an idea or to try it once and then say "ok, it didn't work", but to look at that idea and say "ok, it didn't work that time, what can I do to amend this original idea or what other way can I get around this problem?"

Occasionally you realise that the original idea you had cannot happen or will not happen in its current incarnation. It is only a complete failure if a person gives up entirely.

I get the feeling it is life you are talking about though... and not all of us have the strength to look for a Plan B, especially when trying to get Plan A to work has been like flogging a dead horse, pardon the expression. I think that finding the mindset to say "ok, my plans haven't worked, what can I do now?" and then following it through is probably the first step to recovery.

I think failure means realising you need to change direction.

A person cannot be a failure. Only directions you try to go in.

Imagine you're in a car accident and your car is damaged.

Generally, when the amount of damage exceeds the worth of the vehicle, it is more cost-effective to simply purchase another car.

I suppose I am trying to apply a similar logic to my life, although I realize that there are a lot of inconsistencies with this analogy of a car compared to a human being. In any case, I just want to know at what point, what point can I say that I am a "totaled" human being not worth repairing? When is damage too much damage? I suppose I am a little wary of being gullible and naive in thinking that there is no such thing as 'too much damage,' and I don't really want to waste more time than I have too trying to fix something beyond or not worth fixing.

I suppose a similar, and perhaps less loaded question would be something like: At what point does someone cross accepting their limits to giving up on their dreams? What is the difference between these two things?

I am not fully convinced of the notion that humans cannot fail, only actions. Don't our actions reflect a quality in ourselves, especially actions that are often repeated?

We always have a choice to change goals that aren't working so we can succeed. It isn't failure to accept that something isn't working and try something else.

I think failure and the idea of failing is used far too much in today's society.

Some things just need time -- without our attention.
Some things are based upon others -- and we can't change people.
Some things weren't based in reality in the first place -- and need to be re-relegated back to our imagination.



If you've done all you can, and the best you can, what more can you do?

Definition of Failure: Me.

I am a failure and have long passed the point of being salvageable.

i do not believe in true failure.

i believe that things can not go as planned, or not go the way we want. but that just means that we need to revise those plans, be flexible, or try again. if something doesn't work, then maybe it wasn't meant to be. but a failure in my definition is something that doesn't work out, and nothing AT ALL good comes from it. but i think that we can learn from everything. so therefore, there is no such thing as failure.

as JD said, i think that "failure" is used to much this day in age. people are too quick to call it quits.

Failure - I used up half a century or so and got nothing out of it. I'm not further ahead than when I was born. Just more broken. I don't know what to do next, though I've tried to figure it out and experiment for a long time without driving insight that pulls me forward. That is failure. I would rather be dead. I'm only here for my husband. I have nothing of my own to live for.

What if there are no worthwhile goals to be seen?

Lots of tears since logging in here today.

i was just listenening to a band called Listener that does what they call "talk music" or "poetry music. this is from one of their songs.

"Failing is not just for failures
It's for everyone, failures just have more experience
But you can't quit now, you have to climb all night
Climb everyone of their towers, and show them your life"