Regarding the saying "failure is the mother of success," I do not entirely agree. Success does not necessarily need failure as its guide, nor is success always the result of learning from past mistakes.
If failure were truly the mother of success, would history be different? Have great generals through the ages not learned from their defeats? If failure were a guaranteed guide to victory, why would success not be inevitable?
While the concept of "failure is the mother of success" cannot be completely dismissed, it may simply be a form of self-consolation for those who refuse to give up—a way to encourage oneself. King Goujian of Yue is perhaps a rare example of this principle in action.
If failure inevitably led to success, the world would not see such vast differences in wisdom and capability. Everyone would be brilliant and successful regardless of their failures. But reality tells a different story.
In truth, success does not depend solely on learning from failure. Must one experience a car accident to learn how to drive, or a bridge collapse to master engineering? Not at all. Success is the crystallization of wisdom, the reward of effort, and the natural outcome of hard work.
Wisdom is the prerequisite, effort is the currency, and success is the organic combination of the two, rather than something built upon failure. To say "failure is not the mother of success" is neither a law nor a fallacy. Consider this: why do many businesses still go bankrupt despite knowing how to manage? Why does the failure of a marriage often lead to heartbreak rather than a new beginning? Sometimes, setbacks are not stepping stones but stumbling blocks that can lead to the destruction of one's will. Success does not require failure as its engine, but failure can directly lead to the collapse of success and even despair. Therefore, questioning the proverb is not unreasonable. If one insists that failure is the mother of success, perhaps a large question mark should be placed at the end of the phrase, prompting us to rethink the true secrets of success.
