The Importance of Failure | Cian Quinn
17 June 2021 · 5 min · as at 2021-06-17
Cian Quinn (guest)
Listen to the episode on iono.fm · MP3
About the guest
Cian Quinn
Guest details come from the published episode notes or the guest's own words in the episode.
Episode analysis
Analysis by AI, drawn only from this episode; every point links to the moment it rests on.
A short solo speech in which Cian Quinn argues that failure, though the root of many fears, is the source of the most important lessons and the key to success. He draws on Sun Tzu, Stephen Hawking, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Winston Churchill to argue that celebrated figures also experienced failure. He applies the idea personally, saying one test or exam should not define the rest of your life. He closes with a Henry Ford quote.
Key ideas
- Cian argues that the lessons learned from failure are responsible for success and are arguably the most important lessons one can learn. [00:29]▸ [00:29]▸
- Cian contends failure should be met early, so that a massive-scale failure is never a person's first failure later in life. [00:47]▸
- Cian says that comprehending failure matters more than overcoming it if you are to grow. [02:22]▸ [02:35]▸
- Cian argues that revered historical figures, including Churchill and Napoleon, experienced significant losses and learned from failure. [02:59]▸ [03:08]▸ [03:30]▸ [03:43]▸
- Cian says that one test or exam does not and should not define the rest of your life. [02:49]▸ [02:55]▸
Lessons
- Cian suggests treating failure as a step towards perfecting the task rather than as a personal failing. [00:39]▸
- Cian argues that you should look for the flaws in your accomplishments in order to know what is better. [01:03]▸
- According to Cian, the more you fail, recover and improve, the more you grow and learn. [03:58]▸
- Cian takes from the quote about the courage to continue that a single exam result is not the end of everything. [02:43]▸ [02:49]▸
Who it's for
Students, parents and teachers who want a short, student-voiced reflection on failure, resilience and exam pressure, illustrated with historical examples.
Facts stated in the episode
- Cian says Sun Tzu worked with the Chinese military around 512 BC and is reputed never to have lost a battle. [01:18]▸
- Cian states that in 1915 Churchill helped orchestrate the Dardanelles naval campaign and was involved in planning the Gallipoli landings. [03:30]▸
- Cian says Napoleon's Grande Armee won a battle in Russia with casualties in a ratio of two to three but gained no decisive victory. [03:08]▸
- Cian notes that Stephen Hawking had motor neuron disease and developed the argument that black holes emit radiation. [01:57]▸
Questions this episode answers
- Why is failure important for success?Cian argues that what we learn from failure is the key to success, and that those lessons are arguably the most important one can learn. [00:29]▸ [00:29]▸
- Why should children experience failure early?Cian says failure should be learned as early as possible, so that a failure at massive scale is never the first one a person meets later in life. [00:47]▸
- Is overcoming failure the most important thing?Cian says no: overcoming failure is not as important as comprehending it if you are to grow from failing. [02:35]▸
- Does one bad exam define your future?Cian says one test or one exam doesn't and shouldn't define the rest of your life, and that failure is never the be all and end all. [02:49]▸ [02:55]▸
- Did famous historical leaders ever fail?Cian points to Napoleon's invasion of Russia and Churchill's Dardanelles and Gallipoli campaigns in 1915, among others, as losses. [03:08]▸ [03:30]▸ [03:43]▸
- What did Sun Tzu's success depend on?Cian says Sun Tzu's legacy was built on learning from the mistakes and failures of others and understanding warfare better than his opponents. [01:18]▸ [01:28]▸
In their own words
Longer stretches of the conversation, word for word from the transcript, turn by turn.
Why failure is the key to success
Note (AI): Sets out the speaker's core argument: failure drives fear, yet its lessons are the most important ones and should be met early in life.
Cian Quinn, guest · [00:05]If there has to be one thing that everyone is afraid of, it's definitely doing something wrong or failing to do and or achieving something. Failure is the root of many fears, as it is always what not to do and is always what goes wrong. With this in mind, it becomes apparent that failure is a massive factor in everything we do. Failure is what we work to avoid, …
Read the full passage (235 words, 00:05-01:17)
Cian Quinn, guest · [00:05]If there has to be one thing that everyone is afraid of, it's definitely doing something wrong or failing to do and or achieving something. Failure is the root of many fears, as it is always what not to do and is always what goes wrong. With this in mind, it becomes apparent that failure is a massive factor in everything we do. Failure is what we work to avoid, what we work to overcome and what we learn to thrive from. What we learn from failure is the key to success. As such, the lessons learned from failure are the ones that are responsible for success and are arguably the most important lessons one can learn. Failure shouldn't be seen as a failure to oneself, but as an accomplishment in regards to perfection of the task that is being performed. Failure is such an important lesson to be learned as early as possible, as failure at a massive scale should never become the first failure to be experienced by a person later in life. As such, a person will never really know what is right if they do not know what is wrong. However, a person will never know what is better if they fail to see the flaws and imperfections in their accomplishments. The ability to strive for the best by using the lessons from your worst is the ability to be successful.
Sun Tzu, Hawking and comprehending failure
Note (AI): Uses two historical examples to argue that understanding failure matters more than overcoming it, and applies this to exams.
Cian Quinn, guest · [01:18]Sun Tzu was an excellent Chinese military strategist, and he was working with the Chinese military in around 512 BC, and is reputed to have never lost a battle. Sun Tzu's entire legacy was built on his ability to learn from the mistakes and failures of others, and in understanding warfare far better than his opponents, to work against failure to achieve victory. Stephen Hawking was an influential and innovative …
Read the full passage (271 words, 01:18-02:58)
Cian Quinn, guest · [01:18]Sun Tzu was an excellent Chinese military strategist, and he was working with the Chinese military in around 512 BC, and is reputed to have never lost a battle. Sun Tzu's entire legacy was built on his ability to learn from the mistakes and failures of others, and in understanding warfare far better than his opponents, to work against failure to achieve victory. Stephen Hawking was an influential and innovative theoretical physicist and cosmologist who made massive progress in the understanding and explanations of black holes in quantum mechanics, in relativity theory, and with spacetime singularities. Despite suffering from motor neuron disease, Stephen Hawking still made amazing discoveries and developed the theoretical argument that black holes emit radiation. His discoveries did not come without failure, and all of the theorems that are based in and around science are thought up through long nights full of frustration, many cups of coffee, and in overcoming the monster under the bed that is failure. Overcoming failure isn't about making a name for yourself, however. It's about being the best that you can be, and about understanding the overwhelming and undeniable importance of your failure. If you are ever to grow from failing, then you need to understand that overcoming failure is not as important as comprehending it. Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts. This quote is very true to me, as it teaches me that failure is never the be all and end all of life, and that, for example, one test or one exam doesn't and shouldn't define the rest of your life.
Famous commanders who also lost
Note (AI): Cites defeats of revered leaders to show that even celebrated figures failed, closing on a call to fail, recover and improve.
Cian Quinn, guest · [02:59]People like Napoleon Bonaparte, Genghis Khan, and Winston Churchill are revered for their military achievements, but none of them are without loss. Napoleon's French invasion of Russia saw the Grande Armee win a battle against the Imperial Russian Army, with casualties in a ratio of two to three, and then failed to gain a decisive victory. The Battle of Crécy was the first battle between Volga Bulgaria and the Mongols, …
Read the full passage (197 words, 02:59-04:11)
Cian Quinn, guest · [02:59]People like Napoleon Bonaparte, Genghis Khan, and Winston Churchill are revered for their military achievements, but none of them are without loss. Napoleon's French invasion of Russia saw the Grande Armee win a battle against the Imperial Russian Army, with casualties in a ratio of two to three, and then failed to gain a decisive victory. The Battle of Crécy was the first battle between Volga Bulgaria and the Mongols, most likely being one of the first skirmishes or battles the Mongols lost. In 1915, Winston Churchill helped orchestrate the disastrous Dardanelles naval campaign, and he was also involved in the planning of the military landings on Gallipoli, both of which saw large losses. It is safe to say that these historic figures didn't learn all of these lessons without experiencing failure. Winners are not afraid of losing, but losers are, and this stands true, as no human ever became interesting by not losing. The more you fail, recover, and improve, the better you are as a person, the better you grow, and the better that you learn. Henry Ford once reminded us, the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. Thank you.
Quotes
“What we learn from failure is the key to success.”
“a person will never really know what is right if they do not know what is wrong.”
“The ability to strive for the best by using the lessons from your worst is the ability to be successful.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”
“one test or one exam doesn't and shouldn't define the rest of your life.”
“Winners are not afraid of losing, but losers are, and this stands true, as no human ever became interesting by not losing.”
“Henry Ford once reminded us, the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
What was said, by topic
Learning from failure
“Failure is the root of many fears, as it is always what not to do and is always what goes wrong.”
“What we learn from failure is the key to success. As such, the lessons learned from failure are the ones that are responsible for success and are arguably the most important lessons one can learn.”
“Failure shouldn't be seen as a failure to oneself, but as an accomplishment in regards to perfection of the task that is being performed.”
“Failure is such an important lesson to be learned as early as possible, as failure at a massive scale should never become the first failure to be experienced by a person later in life.”
“However, a person will never know what is better if they fail to see the flaws and imperfections in their accomplishments. The ability to strive for the best by using the lessons from your worst is the ability to be successful.”
“Overcoming failure isn't about making a name for yourself, however. It's about being the best that you can be, and about understanding the overwhelming and undeniable importance of your failure.”
“If you are ever to grow from failing, then you need to understand that overcoming failure is not as important as comprehending it.”
Historical figures and setbacks
“Sun Tzu was an excellent Chinese military strategist, and he was working with the Chinese military in around 512 BC, and is reputed to have never lost a battle.”
“Sun Tzu's entire legacy was built on his ability to learn from the mistakes and failures of others, and in understanding warfare far better than his opponents, to work against failure to achieve victory.”
“Despite suffering from motor neuron disease, Stephen Hawking still made amazing discoveries and developed the theoretical argument that black holes emit radiation.”
“Napoleon's French invasion of Russia saw the Grande Armee win a battle against the Imperial Russian Army, with casualties in a ratio of two to three, and then failed to gain a decisive victory.”
“The Battle of Crécy was the first battle between Volga Bulgaria and the Mongols, most likely being one of the first skirmishes or battles the Mongols lost.”
“In 1915, Winston Churchill helped orchestrate the disastrous Dardanelles naval campaign, and he was also involved in the planning of the military landings on Gallipoli, both of which saw large losses.”
“It is safe to say that these historic figures didn't learn all of these lessons without experiencing failure.”
Resilience and perseverance
“His discoveries did not come without failure, and all of the theorems that are based in and around science are thought up through long nights full of frustration, many cups of coffee, and in overcoming the monster under the bed that is failure.”
“The more you fail, recover, and improve, the better you are as a person, the better you grow, and the better that you learn.”
Exams and self-worth
“This quote is very true to me, as it teaches me that failure is never the be all and end all of life, and that, for example, one test or one exam doesn't and shouldn't define the rest of your life.”
Episode notes (as published)
From the episode notes published with the podcast.
Edu Inc is a registered, affordable, IEB Private School in Fourways South Africa teaching grades 4 to 12 with 10 children per class. Choosing the right school for your child is one of the biggest responsibilites of being a parent. With our very small classes, each child is assured personal attention from our qualified and caring teachers. As a mainstream IEB GDE-registered and Umalusi-accredited school, our Matrics write the same exams as the other private IEB schools you are familiar with. We’re extremely proud of our 100% pass rate and look forward to answering any questions you may have about Edu Inc. This podcast channel will give you some insight into how Edu Inc operates and communicates with its community. Edu Inc website · Facebook (Public) · Facebook (closed group) · Twitter (closed group) · YouTube · Review us on Google
Every quotation and passage on this page is copied word for word from the episode audio transcript and linked to the moment it was said. Quotations are never written or altered by AI; topic labels, passage notes and the episode analysis are AI-generated. Guest details come from the published episode notes or the guest's own words.