I hold deep a philosophy that there is a lesson to be learned in everything we do. Everything can be a learning experience, if we look at it as such.
Growing up, I thought this was how everyone looked at the world. I thought everyone would do something and then use it as a learning experience. I suppose to some degree, that is true – after all, isn’t that exactly how we developed as a species? But I think there is a pretty big difference between the shared human experience and what I mean when I talk about learning lessons from everything.
When I was young, I would often spend time with my grandparents when my parents had to work, or when they had other things going on. My grandpa taught me how to play cards when I was around 5 or 6 years old, including blackjack, 5 card stud, 5 card draw, and the 7 card equivalents. A short while later, I learned how to place bets (with fake money, of course). I remember excitedly trying to talk my grandpa into betting his house, because I was convinced that I had an unbeatable hand – a royal flush. Unfortunately I thought a royal flush consisted of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of the same color; I had forgotten that they have to be the same suit. I guess you get to keep your house this time, Grandpa.
My grandma, on the other hand, enjoyed writing, reading, and word-based things, such as playing Scrabble together. We would write together, she would help me read books that were considerably more advanced than other kids my age were reading. We played a lot of word games.
I also have a particular memory of learning how to count money when my grandma took me to a local drugstore and I wanted some toy. She said I could have it but only if I could count out the money to pay for it. I was slow, but I got there. I remember feeling frustrated when I would get it wrong and have to start over. I also remember a line of folks forming behind us, all of whom were very patient. I don’t remember who any of you were, but thanks for not interrupting my learning experience.
I look back at these memories and think I was often learning more in these… less than conventional means, than I was at school.
As I grew older, I was often finishing homework assignments before the teacher finished handing them out. I spent a lot of time waiting for other kids to finish their work in class. This is how I ended up getting interested in computers – I had a lot of spare time and my teachers would let me play on the classroom computer. Usually it wasn’t much beyond messing with word art or making flyers or cards in Microsoft Publisher. But over time I definitely got more comfortable and familiar with navigating the operating system.
I think these early experiences with learning outside the classroom, or learning in advance of the classroom, are largely responsible for the success I’ve had today. They taught me to love learning, and that we can learn valuable lessons even in unconventional places.
When I started to learn how to use computers for programming, that really amplified the learning feedback loop. Software has a remarkably unique property in that it is extremely easy to try new things, see if they work, undo them, redo them, and repeat until something works the way you expect it to. The results of your changes are often immediately visible. You can do this on basically any computer.
Today, I think this skill is crucial for developing effective habits in the work force, but especially in the security industry. I’ve never tried, failed, and learned so much as I have since I started working in security full time.
I think a lot of people are afraid of failure. Afraid to do something and risk not being good at it. Afraid to struggle. Afraid to give the appearance of struggling. There’s a lot of social stigma around failure.
But I kind of like failing. Failing is much easier to learn from than succeeding is. Succeeding is a combination of everything going right, and it’s hard to look at individual things as responsible for the overall success. Failure is often the result of one or a few things going wrong, which are easier to identify, and in turn, easier to learn from.
I think we should embrace failure as a learning experience. Especially if you’re working in tech.
Note: This is a note from my archive, I unfortunately did not date it. But I re-read it today and I like it and think it’s worth sharing. It’s a glimpse into my worldview, and the moments that shaped that view.