Seeing Failure as a mistake is Corrosive

WD-40 is a great story about failure. It was the first invention to come out of the Rocket Chemical Company's small lab in 1953. It was created to protect the very thin outer skin of Covair's Atlas Missile.

The formula is still a secret but what we do know is that they "failed" 39 times, and only on the 40th time did they get it just right.

WD stands for "Water Displacement", hence the name WD-40.

Looking up failure in a dictionary gives me these definitions;

"Lack of success"

and

"The neglect or omission of expected or required action"

I think these are fairly narrow, corrosive ways of viewing failure, that can stifle innovation, a playful approach which might otherwise lead to success. We see this play out in many arenas - in companies and also in counties, states, nations.

A scientific experiment is a good example where you set out to test an idea (a hypothesis). You might want to see if "Juggling makes you taller". Having carried out the experiment you might find that juggling doesn't actually make you taller (I've tried, it doesn't). That's a result in itself.

Some types of failure are similar to this - they are a result in themselves, and they tell you something useful. Failing can be a sign that you're reaching further, looking to new approaches, actually trying, remaining, in some senses, playful.

Assuming that I tried my best I tend to view failure as a necessary step on the way, not as something to avoid, and not something to hide or be ashamed of.

....when using WD-40 be sure to ventilate the room well! :D