17.2 | The Real Reason for Failure : A Lack of Flexibility
3. The Real Reason for Failure Despite "Giving Your All": A Lack of Flexibility
Consider this story: An American chemist invented the prototype for automotive antifreeze. During the research phase, his colleagues repeatedly suggested: "Try adding this specific element; it might solve the core stability issue." But he refused. He insisted: "That contradicts my professional judgment." He refused even to experiment with it. He kept repeating the same "logical" experimental paths over and over. Once, he actually mixed the wrong elements by accident and produced a breakthrough result—but he dismissed it as a "clumsy mistake" and buried the data.
Eventually, the company went bankrupt. Later, the acquirers found in his lab notes that the "impossible formula" he had rejected was already right there, fully formed. He didn't fail because he "didn't know"; he failed because he refused to change. This story proves a brutal point: Effort without flexibility doesn't just lead to failure—it leads to disaster.
4. "Seeking Truth from Facts": The Ultimate Expression of Flexibility
In Chinese history, the most profound summary of "flexibility" is found in the phrase: Seeking Truth from Facts (Shi Shi Qiu Shi). Mao Zedong emphasized this throughout his leadership. It isn't just a political slogan; it is a deep, practical conclusion.
The essence of "Seeking Truth from Facts" is:
- Acknowledging the feedback of reality.
- Accepting the fact of failure.
- Being ready to revise your plan at any moment.
- Refusing to let your ego-driven judgment override reality.
- Making decisions based on objective, cold facts.
In the early days of the Chinese Communist Party, leaders like Wang Ming—who were trained in the Soviet Union and had witnessed the October Revolution—"believed in the theory" far more than Mao did. They held onto "principles" with an iron grip. But they mechanically copied the Soviet model of urban worker uprisings, ignoring the reality that China was an agrarian society. This dogmatic persistence nearly led to the total destruction of the revolution.
Were these leaders lacking in effort? Were they lacking in faith? Clearly not. Their theoretical background was superior to Mao's. Their fundamental error was a refusal to seek truth from facts. They combined "Belief + Effort + Stubbornness"—the most catastrophic combination possible.
This is why I say: The core of success is not found in the willpower or persistence of the Ego. On the contrary, it is the ability to negate yourself based on objective facts.
This is why Divine Success is the most suitable system for ordinary people. It touches the core reason for success: Success is never achieved by the Ego alone. The more you rely on the Ego, the more you insist on your own "correctness," the more likely you are to fail. If you hold power, this rigidity brings social-scale disaster. Mao reversed the tide because he achieved a true state of "Seeking Truth from Facts."
And the core of that state is not intellectual superiority—it is Selflessness (Wu Wo). Only when the Ego is loosened can reality actually enter. This is not a victory of knowledge; it is a victory of the spirit.
5. A Counter-Intuitive Conclusion: Success is Anti-Human
We arrive at a conclusion that defies common sense: Success requires two seemingly contradictory qualities to exist at the same moment.
- Absolute Belief: You must believe, without a shadow of doubt, that you will reach the goal.
- Total Flexibility: You must be ready to throw your own judgment into the trash at any second.
This "Belief + Flexibility" combo seems like a conflict, but they come from the same source. This is the unity of opposites:
- Stay vigilant when everyone else is overconfident.
- Stay confident when everyone else is despondent.
- Be an optimist in adversity; be cautious in prosperity.
- Always believe, but constantly negate yourself.
Every great achievement is built on this tension. This proves that success is fundamentally anti-human.
Why? Because the human Ego is the greatest obstacle to success. Success is a "selfless" naturalness; it is a Divine order flowing from above. As long as the partiality of the Ego doesn't block it, success is inevitable. Success isn't won by human nature; it is won by human nature "getting out of the way" so that the Divine can enter.
True success, then, requires two things:
- Belief is not in yourself, but in a Power higher than you. Therefore, true belief is not a logical deduction.
- Flexibility is not doubt, but the admission that you might be wrong. True flexibility is the willingness to negate your "past self" based on the feedback of reality.
Great winners aren't great because they are "smarter" or "harder-working"—those are just outward symptoms. Their true commonality is that their Ego is more porous. They are more open to receiving Grace. They don't "force" success; they move their Ego aside and let success happen.
