Which plays a larger role in shaping one’s life: success or failure?

[Irwin]

Think about your successes and failures for a few moments. Which played a larger role in your life?

 

[RnR]

"Think about your successes and failures for a few moments. Which played a larger role in your life?"

Hard to say, the failures taught me, the successes bouyed me. Life has so many contrasts that just meld into an interesting life continuum from the day-to-day to the bigger picture IMO.

 

[fmdog44]

success

 

[helenbacque]

In my opinion, it is our reaction to it that does the shaping.

 

[chic]

In my opinion, it is our reaction to it that does the shaping.

I agree. Success at its best is the greatest motivator, but failure can actually cause physical damage to a person, through despair, depending on a person's background and psychological makeup, so you may remember a failure more because it's so painful.

I remember both successes and failures in life. The successes I want to relive and motivate myself with. The failures are sometimes crippling.

 

[Chet]

Failure can lead to success. It's a motivator for some and a reason to quit for others. Failure motivated me to put my ass in gear in my younger days when I was getting nowhere fast. So I guess my answer is failure.

 

[hollydolly]

I agree with both @RnR & @chic , that's been my experience ...

 

[JonDouglas]

Both, being thankful to have more success than failure.

 

[Serenity4321]

In my opinion, it is our reaction to it that does the shaping.

I absolutely agree!! It is all about our thoughts..what we tell ourselves.
Still and unfortunately IMO we gain the most from failures and adversity IF we use them to learn and grow.

 

[Llynn]

I think success. Positive reinforcement has been proven to be more effective than punishment. Although most people do learn from adversity they modify their behavior to achieve success. Success leaves a warm sunny glow in your soul that failure doesn't.

 

[Pepper]

I prefer happiness, so I choose SUCCESS.

 

[Aunt Marg]

I can't say for sure which played a more important role in my life, but I've always thought of lessons learned, whether good or bad, as being like tuition. We pay and we learn, both are tied together.

While successes are nice and we all love that side of life, going through life with no failures IMO teaches people nothing, nor would progressing through life from the time one is born until adulthood without any failures be a positive thing.

I believe failures help condition and prepare us for those low points in our lives (and they do come), better helping us weather those events and storms and making us stronger, so as with all things, balance and moderation work together as one more than we think.

 

[Mike]

Either will do it, but failure is the more powerful,
especially if you want to prove that you can get
up and go for it afterwards.

Success does give you a more secure position,
one without too much of the wrong kind of stress.

Mike.

 

[Knight]

I can't think of any failures that impacted me enough to say it shaped my life. I've had failures that prompted me to try something different that I had success at. So learning from the minor failures while not life shaping they did help shape my interest in challenging me to look for a better quality of life.

 

[helenbacque]

If success equals happiness, why do so many successful people turn to drugs, alcohol and often suicide? Just asking'.

 

[Murrmurr]

I don't think one plays a larger role than the other. They both play a role of equal value, and people who experience both usually have better character than people who have experienced either one or the other.

 

[Pepper]

If success equals happiness, why do so many successful people turn to drugs, alcohol and often suicide? Just asking'.

For the same reasons Unsuccessful people turn to drugs, alcohol and often suicide................Just tellin'.

 

[Irwin]

As far as shaping my life, I'd say failure played a larger role.

In my late teens, I was unable to land a decent job in the small town where I grew up, so I moved out of state to a fairly large city, where I did far better financially, and far better than my friends I left behind who were able to find stable employment.

In that small town, I worked at a 7-11, in a gas station, at a factory, as a dishwasher... all crap jobs. My life would have been radically different had I found a decent job. It might have been better, might have been worse, but it would have been much different.

So failure to find a decent job in my hometown played a huge role in my life.

 

[Nathan]

A success is nice, rewarding etc. A failure is ugly, feels bad and motivates like no other to be absolutely sure that won't happen again.