FAIL - Fight Again In Life | Dr Tanu Jain | TEDxIIMAmritsar

Summary

The speaker shares seven lessons learned from failures, emphasizing that failure is a social construct and success is self-defined. They discuss the importance of balancing various life aspects, the value of learning from failures, and the need to pursue passions with determination. The speaker also highlights the pain of regret over failure and encourages continuous learning and self-improvement, concluding with the acronym F-A-I-L as a reminder to fight again in life.

Takeaways

• 😀 Failure is a social concept, and society often labels people as failures or successes, but it's important to remember that only you can decide your own success or failure.
• 🏆 There are various aspects of life where people can experience failure, such as academics, career, relationships, and social interactions. It's crucial to balance these aspects to avoid regret.
• 📈 The script discusses a horizontal and vertical aspect of failures. Horizontally, failures can be in different areas of life, while vertically, the depth of effort and learning differentiates failures.
• 🏔️ Not reaching the peak (success) does not equate to failure. Those who quit close to the peak have learned and evolved, and they have different opportunities open to them compared to those who quit early.
• 🚀 Learning and evolving from failures are essential. People who continue to learn and pursue their goals despite failures will find new doors opening for them.
• 🔍 It's important to analyze failures to understand if the direction or goals are right for you. Playing to your strengths is crucial to avoid inevitable failure.
• 🐟 Be the best at what you are naturally good at, rather than trying to be something you're not, which can lead to failure.
• 💔 The pain of regret is worse than the pain of failure. It's better to try and fail than to regret not trying at all.
• 📚 Continuous learning is vital, even in the face of failure. Steve Jobs is an example of someone who continued learning and eventually connected the dots in his success.
• 🌟 Don't judge yourself based on a single failure. Life is a long journey with many opportunities, and each failure is a stepping stone towards success.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main point about failure?

The speaker emphasizes that failure is a social concept and that it's important to learn from failures rather than focusing on the failures themselves.

How does society influence our perception of failure and success?

Society often labels individuals as failures or successes based on their achievements in exams, business, relationships, etc. This labeling can affect how individuals perceive themselves.

What is the speaker's first lesson about failure?

The first lesson is that failure is a social construct and it's up to the individual to decide whether they have failed or succeeded, not society.

What are the different aspects of life where failure can occur?

The speaker mentions academic, career, professional, emotional, social, and identity failures as different aspects where individuals can experience failure.

Why is it important to have a balance in life according to the speaker?

Having a balance is crucial because being successful in one area, like career, but failing in others, like relationships, can lead to regret and dissatisfaction.

What is the vertical aspect of failures the speaker talks about?

The vertical aspect refers to the depth of effort and learning in the journey towards a goal. Quitting at different stages of the journey results in different levels of failure and learning.

Why does the speaker say that not all failures are the same?

Because the effort, learning, and wisdom gained at different stages of failure are different. A person who quits early versus one who quits close to the goal has had different experiences and learned different lessons.

What is the significance of the speaker's point about doors opening for prepared people?

The speaker implies that opportunities arise for those who have learned and evolved from their failures, making them better prepared for new ventures and challenges.

Why is it important to analyze our failures, according to the speaker?

Analyzing failures helps individuals understand if they are pursuing the right goals or if their direction needs adjustment. It's crucial to play to one's strengths rather than blindly following others' advice.

What is the speaker's advice on dealing with the pain of failure?

The speaker advises that the pain of failure is less than the pain of regret. It's better to try and fail than to live with the regret of not trying at all.

What are the speaker's three takeaways at the end of the talk?

The three takeaways are: 1) Do what you want to do with passion, 2) Don't quit learning, and 3) Remember that failure is just a small break, keep pursuing your goals.

How does the speaker use the acronym F-A-I-L to convey a message?

The speaker uses F-A-I-L to mean 'Fight Again In Life,' encouraging listeners to view failure as a call to action to keep fighting and not give up.