Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose. --Bill Gates
Success lulls people - even smart people - into complacency and overconfidence, of creating a false sense of invincibility. Even smart people are enticed into a perceived infallibility which in turn prevents learning and adapting in the future. A victory makes them less open to feedback, potentially hampering future growth, so it’s important to maintain humility even after every triumph in order to continuously seek improvement.
History is filled with people who learn from their failures. And though they triumph over adversity, these individuals refuse the temptation of the siren song of success. Famously, Thomas Edison experienced many failures but he viewed them as opportunities to learn and improve. Similarly, Logan Roy never celebrated a takeover or a rival's defeat. Instead, he focused on the next battle.
Charles Darwin's theory is mistakenly distilled down to "survival of the fittest." In fact, Darwin's theory suggests that strength isn't the primary factor for survival. Change - evolution - takes time. The strongest of the species doesn't survive; look at tyrannosaurus rex versus the humble chicken. Nor do the most intelligent beings survive, either, as anyone in the tech industry that's been laid off can attest. Instead, those who survive are the ones that adapt to change - and this is why humility is important.
The most valuable lessons are those born from mistakes and failure. If you've got the humility combined with a relentless drive, then you're more likely to survive and even thrive. I have failed so many times that whenever someone compliments me on a job well done or a clever insight, I always reply, “If you make every mistake I’ve made then you’ll know everything I know.”
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