I’ve had a lot of thoughts and conversations centered around the concept of failures, what it is, what it isn’t, why it affects us so much, and how we should look at it in order not to let fear of failure paralyze us. Hence, when I stumbled upon a new (for me) podcast, Freakonomics Radio, featuring an episode entitled Failure is your friend, they had me hooked already.

I haven’t even read the Freakonomics books, but I think there’s one in the book shelf upstairs. After having listened to this episode and one more, I’m definitely picking up the books as well. Because I really like this. They had a fun and kindhearted questioning take on the subject, and seem to be like that overall, which I find very refreshing.

So, not only do I here give you a new podcast, which makes me very happy, since I’ve been a bit introverted lately, listening to the same-old-same-old, but also a subject that I really care a lot for. I also give you an episode which I think is a valuable listen for most everyone.

The fear of failure can be paralyzing, and it has certainly affected me (more in the past than now, luckily!) and many I see around me as well. And I have yet to see that fear of failure serve individuals or humanity at large. On the contrary, many are the things without which our society would not be the same, that are a direct result of people failing well, failing fast, and failing productively.

Are you served by how you relate to failure?