Thoughts on Failure
I read this article from Kelle Hampton yesterday. She calls it "What Have You Failed At Today?"
It resonated with something I've been thinking about this past year: a concept that Maria Montessori talks about called "Friendliness with Error."
In The Absorbent Mind, ch 24, Mistakes and Their Correction, she writes,
"Supposing we study the phenomenon of error in itself; it becomes apparent that everyone makes mistakes. This is one of life's realities, and to admit it is already to have taken a great step forward. If we are to tread the narrow path of truth and keep our hold upon reality, we have to agree that all of us can err; otherwise we should all be perfect. So it is well to cultivate a friendly feeling towards error, to treat it as a companion inseparable from our lives, as something having a purpose, which it truly has."
(Emphasis mine)
This video, called "Why Montessori?" has a very thought-provoking line in it.
"The greatest discoveries sit upon a mountain of failure."
From Montessori we learn, that ANY unnecessary help given to a young child is a HINDRANCE to their development. (Can you imagine that? How many times do we help a child? If we correct a child's own attempt at an activity, or help when not absolutely necessary we will close his spirit, he will lose interest in the process of trying, of growing, of making mistakes. We must allow a child to struggle. Montessori would say that she would always wait and "finger ten beads" before intervening to help a child.
Again, Montessori says,
"The tiny child starts toddling uncertainly on his feet, wobbles and falls, but ends by walking easily. He corrects his errors by growth and experience."
And from Kelle's article,
"It's important for me to teach my kids that failure isn't the opposite of success — it's part of success."
This concept is giving me much food for thought. Do I act in my life as if failure is part of success? Am I conveying that to my children? How often do I "help" and really hinder? Am I friendly with error? Not only with children's mistakes, but with my own? Can I BE friendly with another's errors if I am not so with mine?
I'm participating in the 7 Posts in 7 Days Challenge!
It resonated with something I've been thinking about this past year: a concept that Maria Montessori talks about called "Friendliness with Error."
In The Absorbent Mind, ch 24, Mistakes and Their Correction, she writes,
"Supposing we study the phenomenon of error in itself; it becomes apparent that everyone makes mistakes. This is one of life's realities, and to admit it is already to have taken a great step forward. If we are to tread the narrow path of truth and keep our hold upon reality, we have to agree that all of us can err; otherwise we should all be perfect. So it is well to cultivate a friendly feeling towards error, to treat it as a companion inseparable from our lives, as something having a purpose, which it truly has."
(Emphasis mine)
This video, called "Why Montessori?" has a very thought-provoking line in it.
"The greatest discoveries sit upon a mountain of failure."
From Montessori we learn, that ANY unnecessary help given to a young child is a HINDRANCE to their development. (Can you imagine that? How many times do we help a child? If we correct a child's own attempt at an activity, or help when not absolutely necessary we will close his spirit, he will lose interest in the process of trying, of growing, of making mistakes. We must allow a child to struggle. Montessori would say that she would always wait and "finger ten beads" before intervening to help a child.
Again, Montessori says,
"The tiny child starts toddling uncertainly on his feet, wobbles and falls, but ends by walking easily. He corrects his errors by growth and experience."
And from Kelle's article,
"It's important for me to teach my kids that failure isn't the opposite of success — it's part of success."
This concept is giving me much food for thought. Do I act in my life as if failure is part of success? Am I conveying that to my children? How often do I "help" and really hinder? Am I friendly with error? Not only with children's mistakes, but with my own? Can I BE friendly with another's errors if I am not so with mine?
I'm participating in the 7 Posts in 7 Days Challenge!
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