561. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 1: The Chain of Events

We tend to think of tragedies as a single terrible moment, rather than the result of multiple bad decisions. Can this pattern be reversed? We try — with stories about wildfires, school shootings, and love. RESOURCES Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well , by Amy Edmondson (2023). " Michigan School Shooter Is Found Eligible for Life Sentence Without Parole ," by Stephanie Saul and Dana Goldstein ( The New York Times, 2023). " How Fire Turned Lahaina Into a Death Trap ," by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Serge F. Kovaleski, Shawn Hubler, and Riley Mellen ( The New York Times, 2023). The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic , by Jillian Peterson and James Densley (2021). " I Was Almost A School Shooter ," by Aaron Stark ( TEDxBoulder, 2018). EXTRAS " Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Life? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Why Did You Marry That Person? " by Freakonomics Radio (2022). " What Do We Really Learn From Failure? " by No Stupid Questions (2021). " How to Fail Like a Pro ," by Freakonomics Radio (2019). " Failure Is Your Friend ," by Freakonomics Radio (2014). SOURCES: Amy Edmondson , professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School. He…