We learn from the failures that we decide we will learn from.
We don’t learn from all failure. In fact, I would guess we don’t learn from most failure. And/or, most of us don’t actually learn from failure.
We have to decide that we will learn from a failure after we fail.
If we don’t learn, the failure is wasted.
If we do learn, the possibilities are amazing…and endless.
The story:
We failed in the desert in 1980, in Iran.
Then, we learned.
Then, we got Bin Laden in 2011.
The book, about to be released is this: Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure by Tim Hartford.
These thoughts were prompted by this paragraph from Andrew Exum (which Andrew Sullivan highlighted):
You are witnessing the late stages of an evolutionary process that began in a cold desert base in Iran some three decades ago. You cannot understand why the U.S. military was able to execute this extraordinary operation deep in the heart of Pakistan without first understanding the failures of Iran in 1980. I’ve got Tim Harford’s new book Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure on my desk right now, and I’m thinking Tim should add our special operations forces as a case study in time for the paperback.
First Friday Book Synopsis 