What have you recently tried, and failed at?

Emile

Kaj Sotala said:

[I]f you punish yourself for trying and failing, you stop wanting to try in the first place, as it becomes associated with the negative emotions. Also, accepting and being okay with the occasional failure makes you treat it as a genuine choice where you have agency, not something that you're forced to do against your will.

So maybe we should celebrate failed attempts more often ... I for one can't think of anything I've failed at recently, which is probably a sign that I'm not trying enough new things.

So, what specific things have you failed at recently?

Kaj Sotala said:

[I]f you punish yourself for trying and failing, you stop wanting to try in the first place, as it becomes associated with the negative emotions. Also, accepting and being okay with the occasional failure makes you treat it as a genuine choice where you have agency, not something that you're forced to do against your will.

So maybe we should celebrate failed attempts more often ... I for one can't think of anything I've failed at recently, which is probably a sign that I'm not trying enough new things.

So, what specific things have you failed at recently?

Communicating successfully. I've had trouble with people reading my essays, and then not being able to tell me what the main idea was. Or they would offer objections I thought already entirely covered within the essay itself. This shows that I am insufficiently clear and organized.

Three-part structure is the usual way to deal with this. Start with a short summary paragraph, 1-2 sentences, then elaborate in the main body, then restate your point in the conclusion. If you are already doing it, then you probably need to work on your summarizing skills.

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What have you recently tried, and failed at?

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What have you recently tried, and failed at?

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