Why is it so hard to learn from our failures? :
The necessary conditions to learn from failure according to motivation research
Today’s society is well aware of the fact that there are ‘lessons to be learned from failure.’ We often see successful individuals emphasize the importance of learn- ing from one’s failures. For example, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates once said, “ it’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” But let us take the time to think about this statement: how much do we really learn from our failures?
The research paper featured in this report was published in 2019 by Professor Ayelet Fishbach from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Dr. Lauren Eskreis-Winkler, and it challenges our conventional wisdom of ‘learning from failure.’ Here, an experimental study was conducted to prove how the act of failure itself prevents an individual from focusing on the lessons that can be learned. This report will share and examine some of the key findings and implica- tions of the study.