Way of the turtle

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Way of the Turtle

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Our individual accomplishments are limited far more by the
bounds of what we consider to be impossible than by objective real-
ity. If we don’t take a certain step because we don’t believe we will
succeed, we have placed a barrier in front of that success that is far
stronger than reality. If we try, we may fail—but we may succeed.
If we never try at all, we make it impossible to succeed.
Learning Requires Failure
Besides, failure is not so bad. The Dalai Lama has said that you
should thank your enemies because they teach you more than your
friends and family do. Failure is one such enemy, and a very pow-
erful one at that. I know because I have failed more often and in a
greater variety of attempts than anyone I know. I also have had
some spectacular successes that I would not have experienced if I
had not been willing to risk failing. I’ll take that a step further and
admit that I’ve learned far more from my mistakes and failures than
from any of my accomplishments. You cannot learn without risk-
ing failure. That’s part of the reason I’ve experienced my share of
failure: I like to learn new things. Learning requires failure; you
won’t learn if you are not willing to make mistakes and fail.
Most people believe that as we get older it gets harder to learn,
that our brains change somehow. They point to children and how
quickly they learn to speak a new language and contrast that with
how hard it is for adults to learn a new language, crediting youth
as the X factor. I believe the big difference in the ability for chil-
dren to learn a new language as opposed to adults is that kids are
not afraid of sounding foolish or of making mistakes in grammar
and pronunciation while adults are terrified of this. 
When All Is Said and Done
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I recently moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina and have become
friendly with a number of students of all ages and nationalities who
are here to study Spanish. One of the most interesting things I have
noticed is that some who have been in the country for only a few
months or weeks are able to converse at a basic level even though
they did not have any background in the language before their
arrival. Others may have studied Spanish for years in school but
cannot speak conversationally even after several weeks of intensive
classes and residence in Buenos Aires.
This difference in learning is due almost entirely to the degree
of fear they feel about making mistakes or sounding foolish. Some
do not care how they sound; they just start conversing. They real-
ize that everyone who learns a language errs at times and that this
is part of the process. They let themselves fail and improve with the
experience. Each time someone looks at them with a blank stare
in response to what was said, they learn. They learn each time they
order a meal and do not get what they thought they had requested.
These students do so well at failing and learning that they now can
converse fluently in Spanish, and they will continue to improve
their speaking skills with daily practice. 
Changing Paths
If you find yourself on the wrong path—a track leading you some-
where you don’t want to go—keep in mind our discussion of the
sunk cost effect. Do not worry about how much time you’ve spent
on a career you don’t like or how much you have invested in a rela-
tionship that you know will not work. A trader knows not to hide
from reality. She knows that when the market indicates that a trade