Both success and failure have their place in the life of a person. As humans, we crave both; however, the rewards derived from the latter are often greater. The wisdom gained through struggle is often unattainable through success alone. The lessons learned from struggle tend to carry with them greater truth than those that are gained from success alone. Obstacles, failure, and hardship often provide the impetus necessary to break into the upper echelons of achievement, whereas a person may reach his or her full potential by staying within the comfort zone of complacency

In the 1975 book, The Winner’s Circle, author Robert Ringer wrote, “The struggle is the thing. It’s the thing that makes or breaks your chances of succeeding. It’s the thing that makes you or breaks you. It’s the thing that . . . makes you or breaks you.” This sentiment is echoed in innumerable business books, self-help books, and inspirational quotes. The importance of struggle is emphasized in negotiation by relationship experts such as Gary Keller and Jay Abraham, who maintain that negotiators who are able to successfully overcome obstacles achieve greater success than those who simply make deals. The importance of struggle is emphasized in athletics by numerous coaches. Rather than focusing on winning, they encourage athletes to focus on the process of learning essential skills and perfecting them through struggle

The concept of struggle as the path to success is exemplified by the fable of Sisyphus, who, according to Greek mythology, was forced to roll a rock up a hill for eternity. Sisyphus knew that his task was futile, but he could not resist the challenge, and so he pushed himself onward. Although Sisyphus only achieved his goal after repeatedly rolling the rock back down the hill, he learned invaluable lessons along the way. As a result, he was wiser than when he had made the very effort to push his rock up the hill in the first place. These lessons included the fact that progress is often slow and success uncertain; that action is better than inaction, and that a person should be willing to learn from failure, even to the point of embracing it. Struggle teaches us that success is earned through perseverance, and that we should not expect instant results. Struggle also teaches us that life is unpredictable and filled with obstacles, and that it is necessary to persevere through the difficulties that inevitably arise in order that we may reach our goals

The concept of struggle as the path to success is further elaborated in The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris, in which he recounts his attempts to find happiness and success as a freelance writer. Like many writers, Ferris was plagued by the fear that his dream of becoming a bestselling author was unattainable. He began to wonder why so many people seem to achieve success so easily. However, he did not let his fear prevent him from pursuing success. Instead, he read widely and experimented with different writing techniques until he developed an effective writing method. After a period of trial and error, Ferris proved to himself that he was indeed a capable writer. Since he lacked the resources to be a full-time writer, he decided to pursue work as a freelance copywriter. From his experience as a freelance writer, he learned how to meet deadlines, market his work, and consistently produce quality work. In addition, he discovered that failure is an inevitable part of achieving success, and that it is more effective to take risks and learn from mistakes than to shy away from them. Ferris was motivated to continue writing by his fear of failure, rather than by the euphoria of success. Eventually, he achieved his goal of becoming a bestselling author, and he has had continued success as an established author since

Ringer argues that we learn our most valuable lessons in life from struggling through our limitations rather than from indulging ourselves in our successes. The lessons we learn from struggle are universal. They are applicable to all areas of life, including business, sports, and personal relationships. While success is certainly a desirable outcome, we must not overlook the importance of struggle in unlocking our potential.