Why Losing is Important

From what I have noticed, not a lot of people know how to lose anymore, child or adult! This is an important part of life, no matter what you grow up to be or do. Now, losing is never the desired outcome (obviously). But when people are taught that losing isn't an option (or that even 12th placed teams get trophies), they often become near impossible to deal with. Fabricating victories never does anyone favors. However, finding the small victories within a loss is what sets apart "winners" and (Oh gosh.. is he going to say it?! The L word??... yep) "losers"

Always remember, people do not HAVE to be unbearable when they do not get their way.

There are three main importance’s of losing that I always try and remember when being involved in anything.

1: By learning to lose, you learn to win

I know, interesting concept..

If you have been in the position of failure, you often become a better sport. Through trial and error you understand what it is like to lose, how you like (or dislike) being treated after losing, and what you wish would happen next.

So when you do WIN, you can become the person the loser looks up to. Help the person up, be a good sport and be the person you wish was there for you. Understanding the point of view of those that fail helps in the journey to better basic human communication.

You also want the victory that much more when you taste defeat!

Desire goes up when humans are not allowed something. So by being able to channel that

energy and use it to become better, losers become winners!

One aspect that almost everyone can relate to is relationships! Dating is one of the "losingest" games out there. Depending on how you see things, you really only "win" once. Everything else was a learning point to make your win the best it could be!

2: From Failures come breakthroughs

More lessons are learned from failure than from successes.

Why? Because they stick with you.

Every moment of weakness and failure has a lesson, but they can be hard to find. The lesson can be on how to succeed next time, or how not to act or perform next try, or even in extreme cases, that whatever it is you're doing isn't meant for you! (Which can be hard to admit, but is important to understand. That article is for another day.)

Losing isn't a waste, failing to learn from the loss is.

One recurring pattern of successful people is they had a moment in their life where they knew things needed to change to achieve their own personal victories. These losses spark the proceeding changes that lead to wins.

3: It’s NOT the end of the World!

Think to yourself…”What happens if you lose in this specific activity?” I have to go over this once a week with a number of students and WISH I could explain this to some adults too! (Temper tantrums are real and prominent folks, in humans of all ages.)

If the outcome of losing is anywhere from “not serious” to “almost kind of serious” maybe you shouldn’t take it too harshly.

Things like bowling, frisbee golf, tag, board games, and fun office bets all fall under the category of “Probably Not a Big Deal.” So keep that in mind when you engage your competitiveness and “sore-loser-ish-ness” during and after!

By doing this, you will be more enjoyable to hang out with. These skills also make people more likely to make friends, be involved in fun activities and enjoy their lifestyle!

With that said..

Passion is excellent and necessary, so try your hardest and love what you do. When you win, do so graciously. When you lose, also do so graciously!!

If you take away anything from this article, have it be this:

By understanding the importance of a loss,

we can better assess ourselves, our abilities, and life!

-Sensei Seth

@sensei_seth