Author: Michael Dahl

When Is It Useful To Fail?

The saying goes, “I would have rather have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.”  Is this true?  Doesn’t some failure have far too lasting and unwanted consequences?  Still, we would learn or experience very little if we stuck to doing what’s already comfortable to us.  And, trying new things we might fail at for awhile can be enriching and exciting.

So, when is it useful to fail?  What level of failure do you find acceptable?  What are your limits?

Related questions:  How do you define success?  Do we learn more from our successes or failures?  Is it okay to be wrong sometimes?

Is Happiness The Most Important Purpose In Life?

People usually prefer being happy over being sad. In fact, happiness makes us healthier. It boosts our immune system, is good for the heart, and likely helps us live longer. So why wouldn’t happiness be the most important purpose in life?

Related: Listen to an episode of the Intellectual Roundtable Podcast, where Lee and Michael discuss this question: ‘Is happiness the most important purpose of life?’ We also discuss another question as well, ‘How do you define success?’

But are other emotions just as important? Are other aspects, such as goals in life, just as essential?

Have at it, dear readers: Is happiness the most important purpose in life?

Related questions:  What is true happiness?  Why is achieving it so difficult?  Is there a limit to how happy you can be?  Why do we put up with unhappiness?