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From a young age, feedback from authority figures shape our self-perception. Unfortunately, too many young people internalize the message that they should only pursue what comes easily to them. I know this firsthand. As a student, I was interested in STEM but found it challenging. After an educator told me to focus on what I was "good at," I believed I could never succeed in science or technology—and I gave up.
What happened to me isn't unique. Too often, young people aren't given the opportunity to fail safely, leading them to impose limits on their own potential. The consequences extend beyond the individual—industries suffer, too. Research shows that professionals with high confidence earn $8,000 more each year than their less self-confident peers, and 93 percent cite confidence as key to career success. Without a cultural shift that embraces safe failure—the opportunity to fail, learn and try again—innovation will stagnate, and talent pipelines will weaken.
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