What if the Secret to Success is Failure?
I highly recommend this amazing New York Times article on how to instill “performance character” (as opposed to “moral character”) in children. It shows how children can become more grateful and grittier when they overcome failure which in turn gives them happy, meaningful and productive lives.
The findings are so contrary to the current dogma of instilling “moral” values in our children and of shielding them from failure, that it should be required readings for all parents.
Read the article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
just today i read “Top Ten Reasons Why VC-Backed Companies Fail”, which starts with “The Founders Have Never Failed Before” http://www.forbes.com/?sites/ericjackson/2011/12/?14/?top-ten-reasons-why-vc-back?ed-companies-fail/
This article is fantastic as well on the same topic: http://blog.summation.net/2011/11/fail-to-succeed.html
The biggest problem of American education is that the bar gets lowered to the lowest common denominator. The biggest problem (beyond the obvious one of lowering the level of education) is that it teaches kids that success is a given and almost a right (a kid has to almost slap a teacher to get an F) and it does not teach kids how to deal with (and succeed in) a challenging environment in the real world nor how to deal with failure (and rebound from it) if, and when, it happens.
I still remember a special on TV where they were showing a kid in gym class doing the jump rope WITHOUT A ROPE. And somehow this was seen as a revolutionary new achievement in education…