Anwika Palle Week 11 - A Success in Disguise
When I think about power, the first thing that comes to mind is authority, control, and influence. However, I gained a new perspective on it while writing a majority of my POAS paper this past weekend.
My Person of American Significance is Henry Ford. I’m sure all of us know Henry Ford for the assembly line that revolutionized mass production in America. I’m also sure we see Ford trucks as often as we see Teslas in Fremont. Okay, maybe not that often, but you guys get what I mean.
One of Henry Ford’s most well known quotes is “failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Ford took to his advice pretty well, because although many of us have heard about his Model T and the way he changed the automobile industry, there is also a lot more to Ford. Ford created various models before the Model T. He had two companies prior to Ford Motor Company, but they both failed as he was either forced to leave or the company had to be dismantled due to its insuccess.
So what would have happened if Ford gave up after his first company did not work out? He would not be the household name of the nineteenth century, and his capability to impact this world would not have been possible. The power of failure is one that can determine many factors in how life plays out. Personally, I have let the fear of failure stop me from doing things in my life. I think it’s important to put failure in a new perspective to avoid the social construct of failure, and instead use those mistakes to learn from and improve.
Failure is a success in disguise, and as we have seen with many other wealthy and well-known people, failure is a powerful lesson that we will all encounter, but must remember to learn from.
Image link: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQVrc8toOQoHWmLCZKf5CD2QHNtvRgQZvfTFw&usqp=CAU
Works Cited:
https://magazine.caltech.edu/post/the-transformative-power-of-failure
Failure is the moment when you realize that there are no more options ahead. Overcoming that perception is something that I feel like I have to deal with after the AP scores are released for this year. Existential matters aside, I think putting that line to practice is truly admirable and I can see myself being one of those people who’d give up on everything the moment I feel like the options have slimmed and my aspiration has escaped my original plan. If things don’t go well, I see my all-for-nothing mentality tip towards the nothing end. So the phrase that failure is an opportunity to begin again with more intelligence should include one caveat: if you're brave enough, failure is an opportunity to begin again but with more intelligence.
ReplyDeleteHi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteYou are so lucky to get Henry Ford as your person of American significance! I have long looked up to Ford as a personal role model, and I am fascinated by the many inventions and innovations he brought to America during the second industrial revolution. Forms of his work, such as the assembly line, is still used today in manufacturing. It makes sense to me that someone so accomplished would have had failures along the way which taught him valuable lessons to succeed.
Sincerely,
Krish
Hi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteOne of my biggest flaws is that I never follow through with anything. As soon as the first hardship gets me on my knees, I turn around and walk away to another new path. I pride myself on persistence, yet that persistence is hardly found in everything I do (only some). The biggest problem isn't in what I do, it's my mental approach to a problem. Ford was determined to let no mistake hinder his sheer willpower, and I think in times of struggle, it's crucial that we apply the same mindsets to our own endeavours.
Sincerely,
Sean Wang
Hi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteHenry Ford was a very influential figure in the entire world and his impact today is undeniable. Failure as success in disguise is an interesting topic, and the moral that you are trying to teach is very inspirational. I agree that being able to persevere is a very important ability and definitely played a large role in Ford's success. I will definitely try to apply your message.
Sincerely,
Raymond Yu
Hi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very common idea that people like to put in motivational quotes or speeches. One of the most known examples is Thomas Edison with the light bulb. I'm sure a few TV shows and people in general have said that Edison failed hundreds of times while inventing the light bulb. But if he had given up after the first failure, we wouldn't have light today. I always felt it was overdone, but in no way is it wrong. Failure is just another reason to try again and that is something I try to always keep in the back of my mind.
Hey Anwika, I completely agree. I grew up on the idea that you can only mess up once, but if you mess up again then you haven't learned what you needed to learn. There is so much power in failure, either the negative side (things not turning out the way you expected) and the positive side (understanding that it's an opportunity to be even better than the first time). I believe that the most power lies in how you respond to failure and what you let it teach you. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHello Anwika,
ReplyDeleteAs I make my rounds commenting on blog posts, I cannot help but be amused by the "power" that POAS seems to have on us all, so much so that it bleeds into our blogs. One thing that I have always found very fascinating about Henry Ford is his clever quotes. I feel like his ability to articulate and move people with his words must have contributed to his major success, albeit second to his innovative business procedures. Perhaps my favorite quote of his is "If you had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse."
Yi-Kuan Cheng
Hi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteI find it funny that everyone is stressing about POAS now that it is due tomorrow, and this stress is being put on our blog posts. I remember learning about how Henry Ford's "assembly line" revolutionized the production of everything. I think his way of making people want to work is astonishing, and the quote you give us in this blog can be applied as well.
Sincerely,
Vivan Waghela
Hey Anwika!
ReplyDeleteI really like that you spoke about Henry Ford because he is such a key figure in America. For starters he created the Ford which was revolutionary in the way it was an accessible automobile brand at the time. He also created the assembly-line which plays a huge role in how industries still run nowadays. He also changed the work week from 9 hours and 6 days to 8 hours and 5 days. We might not even have two day weekends now without him. Thank you for sharing more about him:)