Write for an Academic Discussion

A professor has posted a question about a topic and students have responded with their thoughts and ideas. Make a contribution to the discussion.
You will have 10 minutes to write.

Your professor is teaching a class on psychology.

In your response, you should do the following.

• • Express and support your opinion.
• • Make a contribution to the discussion in your own words.

An effective response will contain at least 100 words.

Professor’s question:

In psychology, we often explore how life experiences shape our development. A common belief is that we learn our most valuable lessons from our failures, as they can teach us resilience and show us what not to do. However, an alternative view is that success is a more powerful teacher because it builds confidence and reinforces effective strategies. Which do you believe is more influential for personal growth—success or failure? Why?

Student response 1:

I think we learn more from failure. When we fail, we are forced to analyze what went wrong and adapt our approach. Therefore, it promotes deeper learning and problem-solving skills. Success is great, but it doesn't always challenge us to grow in the same way failure does.

Student response 2:

I believe success is a more effective teacher. It provides positive reinforcement and clearly shows which strategies work, which we can then apply to future situations. Furthermore, experiencing success builds the confidence needed to take on new challenges, whereas constant failure can be discouraging and lead people to give up.