Failing Forward
If you ask a person whether they have failed in the past year, the vast majority will remember a small or big failure. However, only a small minority are willing to openly share their failures in public. Intuitively, people tend to hide their failures: ‘If you do not succeed, then hide all evidence that you have tried’, the comedian Steven Wright quotes. Apparently, failure brings shame, despite the fact that it is part of life. Only when people have been able to turn their failures into a success, they dare to speak up.
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Our Failing Forward Event aims to break the taboo and normalize the conversation around failure. Together with Extra Muros and Studium Generale, We have invited students, staff members, professors, and alumni to share their failures openly and candidly. Rather than focusing on their success stories, this event provides a platform for individuals to reflect on and share their experiences of failure.
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All editions of the Failing Forward Event explore success and failure from personal and academic perspectives, featuring speakers who reflect on the meaning of failure, its impact on development, and the role of community and relationships in shaping our understanding of success.
Participant reflections: “I was impressed by the brave guests who shared their personal failures. The event was incredibly valuable, and I think it will change the way I cope with failure for the better.”
Participant reflections: “This was one of the most positive events I experienced this year. The topic of resilience in students as stemming from the failure, and re-evaluating it through positive reframing its concept was definitely the highlight of my day. The final surprise in a form of a free book with the research was extremely valuable, and the book is on the main display in my bookshelf.
