108. Error Correcting Your Way To Success
Simple version
Everyone wants to be successful
But success often seems out of reach
Because what we are looking for is a step by step guide
Unfortunately, there are no recipes for success
But there is something else – an explanation for failure
The worst explanations disable you and your desire to improve
The better the explanation, the more errors you can correct
And with each error you correct, you don’t just get closer to success
You learn how to create it on your own terms.
Expanded Version
Everyone wants to be successful
From athletes chasing championships to students striving for top grades, people across all walks of life crave achievement. This desire is driven by the promise of validation, freedom, or fulfillment that success seems to offer.
But success often seems out of reach
Despite putting in effort, many still feel stuck. A small business owner might work tirelessly yet see no profits, or a job seeker might face repeated rejections despite being qualified. This creates a sense of confusion and discouragement.
Because what we are looking for is a step by step guide
We want clear instructions, like a recipe: do X, then Y, and you'll get Z. Self-help books, productivity hacks, and career advice often promise this kind of linear path. But life rarely unfolds in such a predictable way.
Unfortunately, there are no recipes for success
What works for one person may completely fail for another. Two startups can follow the same business model — one thrives, the other crashes. There are too many variables: context, timing, luck, interpretation. Success is not like baking; it’s more like inventing.
But there is something else – an explanation for failure
Instead of guaranteed steps to win, we can investigate why things didn’t work. For instance, a failed product launch might reveal poor customer research or unclear messaging. This kind of insight is gold.
The worst explanations disable you and your desire to improve
If you explain failure by saying, “I’m just not good enough,” or “It’s all rigged,” you're giving up agency. These explanations end inquiry. They close off the possibility of learning and adapting.
The better the explanation, the more errors you can correct
Saying, “I didn’t test the idea with real users,” leads to a useful correction. It sparks the next experiment. Good explanations are actionable — they point to specific flaws in reasoning, understanding, or execution that can be improved.
And with each error you correct, you don’t just get closer to success
You start to build an internal model of what works — a personalized theory of progress. Like a scientist refining a hypothesis, each iteration brings more clarity and power.
You learn how to create success on your own terms.
Instead of copying others blindly, you develop your own strategies. You trust your ability to learn, adapt, and innovate. That’s true success — not just reaching a goal, but gaining the power to define and achieve goals that matter to you.
Deeper version
Everyone wants to make progress
Yet progress appears elusive while unresolved problems dominate our horizon.
Because we keep demanding a rule‑based, non‑creative procedure of making progress
Unfortunately, because any formula or ready‑made path is, by definition, non‑creative it is therefore powerless to solve your unique problems.
What is available is a fallible, improvable explanation of why the current attempt fails.
Easy‑to‑vary stories immunise themselves against critique, entrench error, and smother creative effort.
Hard‑to‑vary explanations expose a wider range of errors to rational criticism, expanding their reach.
Each eliminated error not only removes an immediate obstacle but enlarges the space of solvable subproblems.
You become a self‑directed generator of progress capable of unbounded problem‑solving.
Every rational agent seeks to make progress by solving problems creatively “success” is only the outward sign of that progress.