I saw an impressive statement on a church roadsign the other day:
"FAILURE IS AN EVENT, NOT A PERSON."
I've been thinking about this a lot as it seemed quite profound when I read it and would apply to so many situations.
In sports, failure is when you lose a game, strike out, don't get a touchdown or even shoot a bogey. Interestingly, the next game, season, etc. is a new start and a resetting of that failure scoreboard.
In politics, people seem to fail all the time and often get reelected in spite of it. Failed ideas resurface many times and people fail to understand the lesson from the first time that idea failed. Apparently, failure in politics doesn't last long.
Failure in life seems to be the hardest type of failure as the ultimate judge of whether we failed or not seems to be each one of us. Others can tell us we're a failure but many of us seem oblivious to that possibility UNTIL we decide for ourselves that we've failed. That particular moment, however, is when we determine if failure defines us as a person or if it was just a single event in a long and successful life. We decide which one applies or defines our life.
I could take this to the next level about how God makes the final decision but that's another topic in another forum. For now, I just wanted to throw something out in this political forum where people so often determine that somebody else has failed. This thread is now open to hijacking and I'm curious to see where any of you take it.
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Jesus Christ--The reason for the season!
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.
If you're certain you know everything, there's little opportunity to learn anything.
"FAILURE IS AN EVENT, NOT A PERSON."
Sign Cal saw..
I would guess this sign was in front of a church that preaches grace..ALot of churches try and put guilt trips on people..I used to be that way..but as I've gotten older and wiser..I agree with a statement nodog said today in another post."We are all created with a loose screw." Although I strive very hard to please the Lord..I know deep down I'm nothing apart from the Lord..we humans are quite weak even in our most serious efforts..
So your sign Cal..tells me not to take my fallings too serious...yes evaluate them ..try to keep from making the same mistakes..but as Jesus said ,"Isn't LIFE more than these." and that is far more important..being his child, and being alive...This life is full of trials..don't beat yourself to death when you fall on your face. There is a scripture in Psalms.."The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and though he falls he shall not be cast down..for the Lord holdeth him in His hands."
I don't totally agree though..I know some that have made mistakes that have cost them alot..like a local principal that got busted for child porn..That man is in jail..with this face plastered all over the newspaper..I bet he thinks he's a failure..
Show me a failure that didn't have a person involved in it .... there is no event without a person behind it or causing it or involved in it.
And I'd hazard to say most often the failure and event could have gone another direction if the person had chosen so
I agree that most failures involve a person failing. I'd also agree that if a different decision was made, a different outcome was possible. But is such failure "permanent?"
I think the meaning behind the sign is that the "failure" is an event that the person who failed lives through and (hopefully) comes out for the better on the other end. It doesn't mean the person didn't fail (as in lost a game, didn't complete a job assignment or has messed up their life). It means that person (if still alive) has the chance to do something about it and move forward. Of course, you may have a different take on this and I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
__________________
Jesus Christ--The reason for the season!
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.
If you're certain you know everything, there's little opportunity to learn anything.
"FAILURE IS AN EVENT, NOT A PERSON."
Sign Cal saw..
I don't totally agree though..I know some that have made mistakes that have cost them alot..like a local principal that got busted for child porn..That man is in jail..with this face plastered all over the newspaper..I bet he thinks he's a failure..
So Chuck, within a religious context (or not), is that principal a permanent failure for the rest of his life or could he turn things around? Take some positive steps. Make some better choices? I'm sure that principal does feel like he's a failure. But is that failure the event and his poor choice(s) he made or is he just a permanent failure for the rest of his life? It's an interesting concept to think about.
__________________
Jesus Christ--The reason for the season!
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.
If you're certain you know everything, there's little opportunity to learn anything.
Show me a failure that didn't have a person involved in it .... there is no event without a person behind it or causing it or involved in it.
And I'd hazard to say most often the failure and event could have gone another direction if the person had chosen so
So lets say you are heading out across a lake when a your boat motor fails. Your fishing trip or boat ride whatever the case in being turns out a total flop. It is because of the person or is it because of a mechanical failure? Same thing if your vehicle breaks down while your driving down the road? As long as you got home safe and sound was it really a failure?
Then take someones work, they are having a bad day and everything ends up going wrong. That is one day out of how many? Does that make that person a complete failure? That person is trying really hard and learns from the mistakes. Is that person still a failure because of the bad day before? Just like someone that is hooked on drugs or alcohol and that person recovers from it. Is that person a failure as well?
So lets say you are heading out across a lake when a your boat motor fails. Your fishing trip or boat ride whatever the case in being turns out a total flop. It is because of the person or is it because of a mechanical failure? Same thing if your vehicle breaks down while your driving down the road? As long as you got home safe and sound was it really a failure?
Then take someones work, they are having a bad day and everything ends up going wrong. That is one day out of how many? Does that make that person a complete failure? That person is trying really hard and learns from the mistakes. Is that person still a failure because of the bad day before? Just like someone that is hooked on drugs or alcohol and that person recovers from it. Is that person a failure as well?
I can only say not in my opion.
No mechanical failure ever happens without that union worker slacking on the job.
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
A good man once told me, "Yesterday has happened, we can only learn from what happened yesterday, and apply that lesson to today and tomorrow."
Or as CalHunter's sign said "Failure is an event, not a person".
Failure
