I have developed a very recent semi-obsession with TED Talks. Some of these talks are downright cool – so says the geek living inside of me. Most recently, I watched a talk by Kathryn Schulz, author of “Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error.” She challenges the narrative that to succeed in life, we must never make mistakes.
I did not always believe this. For a long time, I could think of nothing more anxiety-provoking and self-esteem-threatening than being wrong. Call it the former (mostly effortlessly) straight A student living inside of me. Nothing shattered my ego raising my hand to blurt out the wrong answer or getting a paper back ridden with red ink. It’s not that I’ve never failed, but I’ve definitely stopped myself from pursuing different opportunities because of the fear.
I have failed. Majorly. Yet I can look back and definitely state that if I had never tried and made mistakes, I would absolutely not be where I am today. So major confession time: I was WRONG – not once, but twice – in applying to graduate school….
