Book: How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
What was the general theme or argument of the
book?
The general theme of
the book was that failing is a necessary part of life and why it is good to
experience in life. In addition, Scott Adams really focuses on taking a selfish
mindset and really developing your skills. He focuses on putting yourself first
so you do not become a burden to those around you and then putting your
economics second because if they are not focused on economics then they also
become a burden.
How did the book, in your opinion, connect
with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
The book truly
connected and enhanced what I am learning in this course because it focuses on
the many aspects of entrepreneurship. Adams focus on failure and the idea of
not giving up is much like one of our previous assignments. In this previous
assignment, we had to identify a time during the course when we felt like
giving up and how we find the motivation to continue on. I think that failure
and the desire to give up at times is very prominent in the world of
entrepreneurship and this book focuses on the idea of persevering and the good
in failing.
If you had to design an exercise for this
class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
If I had to design
an exercise for this class based on the book, I would make it an exercise where
and individual had to identify three significant failures in their lives. These
failures could be from school life, social life, work life, any aspect of their
life. With these failures, I would ask the student to reflect on these failures
and find the good in each of those failures, what skills came from those
failures, and how those failures changed them for the better. I would encourage
them to treat all future failures in the same manner.
What was your biggest surprise or ‘aha’
moment when reading the book? In other word, what did you learn that differed
from your expectations?
The biggest surprise
I had while reading this book was the idea of focusing on yourself and
economics before everything else, including your family. This was surprising to
me simply because it is not really something one grows up hearing and it is, in
a way, against societal norms. I have grown up always with the idea of putting
my family and friends first and had never thought of it like Scott Adams
described it. However, after reading this book it makes sense as I do agree
that when one is not focused on their own wellbeing and their own economics
they do become a burden on the ones they love and therefore would do quite the
opposite of putting their family first and taking care of them.
After reading your post and getting to know what the main points were, it is really interesting that Scott Adams explicitly told his readers to put themselves first. It totally goes against the grain of social etiquette, but it makes complete sense. It reminds me of the airplane scenario where during an emergency, you are supposed to put on your own face mask before assisting others. It’s probably the same mindset. Help yourself so that you can help then others. This seems like a really interesting book!
ReplyDeleteHey Haley! This book really sound interesting and based on what I have read, I see a lot of value in this type of thinking. Failure is just a part of life wether we like it or not and it is often how we react from these failures that wind up defining us in the long run. By investing in and taking care of yourself, you will be able to be the best version of yourself for those around you that you care about.
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