We all like a good win. But they can’t teach us anything.
Sure, we may gain more confidence by them. They may also rally others to our cause. But we never really learn from them because a win confers an honor—it points the spotlight on us—and, for a while at least, we relish in it. It’s in our failures and near misses—when we avoid the spotlight—that we are truly motivated to go deeper and make the changes that count.
What did you learn from your recent near misses?
A win or loss isn’t what teaches… its the reevaluation of the process that does. It is just more likely that when we lose we will reevaluate. If we choose to reevaluate anytime we win or lose then we can become a better person despite our final result. Such is the reason why a great software company does not stop at being the best but rather acknowledges that they are the best and then continue to seek a higher level of excellence. So I would agree with you that a win cant teach you anything but neither can a loss. Only the process and reevaluation of it can teach us how to be better.
You’re quite right Jeff. I think a good definition of a fool is one who doesn’t learn from either a win or a loss. Yet, I think it’s safe to say that most of us are more eager to learn only after suffering a loss. I admit my language in this post is a bit hyperbolic to underscore the point that Bobby Jones is making. It’s when we think we’ve lost that we are most receptive to gain. Thanks for commenting!