Squiggle – Acrylic on canvas/ $ 25” by 37” / gold frame/ $ 490
Fear often results from confusion. Being unclear of the path forward can produce unsettled, anxious feelings that do not let you take risks.
FEAR
Throughout my working career I noticed that many workers were reluctant to take risks because they either feared failing or getting fired. Instead they remained docile and stayed in the shadows as they went about their tasks. I wonder if their brains were clamoring, “ you won’t succeed if you try a new concept or you can’t possible do that because it’s too difficult.”
Perhaps as children these yes sayers were ridiculed for spending time on “crazy or unproductive,” ideas. Maybe they had parents who told them, “you don’t do anything right! You always mess up. That’s just the way you are. ” Those deflating words can create insecure, timid adults afraid of tackling new ventures. Or perhaps they were risk takers but lost money trying to get their venture off the ground. Their self-image might have been destroyed and they became afraid of trying an unproven concept again.
Public pressure is another reason people refrain from testing new ideas. Savvy politicians are quick to say an idea won’t if it doesn’t come from their political party. Opponents are always on the look out for power plays and the media has great fun elevating potential failures to lofty heights making it politically dangerous to try. Once an idea fails, even though a great deal was learned that could lead to a more productive outcome, negative press can be devastating.
The difficulties generated from not taking risks can be great because failure is often a precursor to success.The scientific community know this is the only way to make progress. Scientists experiment with ideas, continuously making adjustments because of failures. Years are often spent pursuing an idea even though disappointing results face the investigator.
In 1937 a Bell Labs scientist named George Stibitz used relays in a demonstration adding machine. The same year a German engineer built his Z2 computer using telephone company relays. Building on these trials David Packard and Bill Hewlett played around in their garage, overcoming one failure after another before inventing the 200A Audio Oscillator, a piece of test equipment for engineers. In 1940 Walt Disney Pictures took a risk by ordering their 200B model to test recording equipment and speaker systems for newly equipped theaters in order to show “Fantasia.” Each of these entrepreneurs spent hours taking risks, often failing before developing societally useful applications.
I wonder what their families thought of their early frustrations. Did they say, “Honey, what you are doing is well and good but you need to spend your time making money to support our family.” Did they turn to their friends and say, “ She’s such a nurd, never doing anything practical!”
Penicillin was accidentally discovered by Alexander Flemming, Professor of Bacteriology at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. In the 1940’s he had just returned from a holiday in 1928 when he went to his lab. Sorting through petri dishes of Staphylococcus bacteria (the one that causes boils and sore throats), he noticed something strange in one dish. In a spot where a bit of mold was growing the Staph colony had disappeared. He had an idea. Yet It took ten years of further study, failures and research at Oxford University to turn what Flemming discovered into a life saving drug. Researchers focused on their goal even though they did not achieve immediate results. The risks they took cost money but their curiosity and hope led them to pursue their dream of curing many diseases. As they looked for answers I wonder if they were stymied by insecurities.
My life has been filled with many failures but each one gave me an idea to treasure. And though I want to help my children avoid my mistakes I have come to realize that they need to reach out, take risks and learn on their own. The best I can do is support them in their endeavors, overlook their failures and encourage them to use boldness in following their ambitions.
http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/computers/ – history of the computer
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/flemingpenicillin.html#alexander-fleming-penicillin– discovery of penicillin
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