I enjoyed this, thanks! I just wanted to try and articulate a thought regarding failure. It feels simple in my head but I’m finding it hard to express it clearly!
It’s something like: a failure is only a failure if looked at in isolation. If instead it’s seen as part of a wider collection of failures and successes it is a necessary part of trial and error that helps move towards overall success.
If a project a person is working on turns out to be a dead end compared to another project that turns out to be highly impactful, the person working on the dead end project might feel a sense of disappointment and failure. “My project was a total dud. What a waste of time! I suck compared to the other person!”
But if it is part of a wider collection of projects and actions (the EA community as a whole) every failure that can be shared with the community is a useful exploration that the community as a whole can learn from. So even a failure can benefit the collective progress towards making a large positive difference.
Maybe it’s a mindset shift—to avoid seeing it as a race where there are winners and losers, people who did the most good and people who didn’t; and instead see it as a collaborative effort where we are all working together for a shared goal, and every effort counts towards the overall progression of the movement. Every win is a win for everyone (humanity!), and every failure is a useful learning point we can learn from and build upon.
With that in mind I would love to read more accounts of things people in the EA community have tried that didn’t work out, for whatever reason! I’ve read some accounts before and I always enjoy it. Not only is it useful to share that knowledge so others can avoid similar dead ends or mistakes, but it also helps me remember that other people try and fail, and are not perfect magical superhumans. It gives me courage that, even if they might not work out, I can try things too.
I enjoyed this, thanks! I just wanted to try and articulate a thought regarding failure. It feels simple in my head but I’m finding it hard to express it clearly!
It’s something like: a failure is only a failure if looked at in isolation. If instead it’s seen as part of a wider collection of failures and successes it is a necessary part of trial and error that helps move towards overall success.
If a project a person is working on turns out to be a dead end compared to another project that turns out to be highly impactful, the person working on the dead end project might feel a sense of disappointment and failure. “My project was a total dud. What a waste of time! I suck compared to the other person!”
But if it is part of a wider collection of projects and actions (the EA community as a whole) every failure that can be shared with the community is a useful exploration that the community as a whole can learn from. So even a failure can benefit the collective progress towards making a large positive difference.
Maybe it’s a mindset shift—to avoid seeing it as a race where there are winners and losers, people who did the most good and people who didn’t; and instead see it as a collaborative effort where we are all working together for a shared goal, and every effort counts towards the overall progression of the movement. Every win is a win for everyone (humanity!), and every failure is a useful learning point we can learn from and build upon.
With that in mind I would love to read more accounts of things people in the EA community have tried that didn’t work out, for whatever reason! I’ve read some accounts before and I always enjoy it. Not only is it useful to share that knowledge so others can avoid similar dead ends or mistakes, but it also helps me remember that other people try and fail, and are not perfect magical superhumans. It gives me courage that, even if they might not work out, I can try things too.