Why You Need to Fail If You Want to Succeed

Understanding the Science Behind Why Failing Is Crucial for Achievement & Success

If you’re trying to succeed without ever failing, you’re not aiming high enough. The truth is, every breakthrough, every major win, every bold leap forward – starts with something not going to plan. The people who rise are the ones who stumble, fall, and adapt. Not the ones who play it safe.

We’re conditioned to avoid failure. School penalizes mistakes. Social media highlights perfection. But real success? It’s built on doing things wrong, learning fast, and applying the lessons.

The Science Behind Why Failing Works

1. Failure activates deeper learning in the brain
Neuroscience shows that the brain responds more actively to mistakes than to correct answers. According to a study published in Nature Communications (2018), when we make an error, the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex light up. These are the areas responsible for problem-solving, reflection, and adaptation. In short, failure literally forces the brain to learn more deeply than success does.

2. Feedback from failure improves long-term performance
A study by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business analyzed data from 11,000 scientists over 10 years. Those who failed early in their careers – but stuck with it – were more successful long-term than those who had early wins. Why? Failure forced them to improve their methods and sharpen their thinking. They got better because they had to.

3. Controlled failure boosts confidence and resilience
In psychology, this is known as the “challenge-skill balance.” When people face challenges just beyond their current skill level – and fail, but persist – they enter a state of flow over time. This leads to stronger self-efficacy (the belief in one’s ability to succeed), as shown in research from psychologist Albert Bandura.

What Failure Really Teaches (That Success Never Will)

You don’t learn much from getting things right the first time. But failure strips away illusions fast. It shows you where you stand, what’s missing, and how much you’re capable of changing. Here’s what it gives you:

• Clarity – You stop guessing. Failure gives direct feedback about what doesn’t work.
• Adaptability – You’re forced to pivot, innovate, and try new angles.
• Mental toughness – You build the emotional muscle to keep going when things suck.
• Better decision-making – Each failure makes you more precise in how you think, plan, and execute.

And most importantly: it builds humility. You stop assuming you know everything – and start listening, observing, and learning in a way success can’t teach.

How to Use Failure to Drive Forward

To get the benefits, you have to approach failure the right way:

• Normalize it: Expect failure as part of the path. Don’t avoid it – anticipate it.
• Detach your identity: You failed. You’re not a failure. Big difference.
• Study the pattern: What exactly didn’t work? Get objective. Treat it like data.
• Adjust with purpose: Don’t just try again. Try differently based on what you’ve learned.
• Stick with it: Most people fail once and quit. The winners fail repeatedly – but they keep going with refinement.

The Real Cost of Avoiding Failure

Avoiding failure might feel safer, but it’s the biggest risk of all. When you fear failure, you:

• Avoid big goals.
• Stay in your comfort zone.
• Miss out on key learning opportunities.
• Let fear make your decisions for you.

Over time, this creates regret. According to a Frontiers in Psychology study (2017), the most common long-term regret people report isn’t failure – it’s inaction. The “what ifs.” The dreams they didn’t chase because they didn’t want to fall flat.

Fail Forward or Fall Behind

Here’s the part no one wants to say out loud – if you’re not failing, you’re not growing. Every person you admire, every success story you follow, every major innovation in history – they all came through repeated failure. Not despite it.

The difference between the people who rise and the ones who stay stuck isn’t talent. It’s their relationship with failure. The ones who succeed have learned to see it as part of the job. They don’t internalize it. They don’t make it personal. They use it.