What is failure?

[S L Forsburg]

> I don't mean to aim my angst at you, Susan, I've lurked in this newsgroup
> quite a bit and I respect you. I think that you are using the word
> "failure" because it is commonly used in your peer group to describe
> people who have left science, for the reason mentioned above.

Thanks, J, but let me clarify one thing--I think you are reading into
my post something that I didn't actually say.

For the record,  I don't think people making
a rational decision to leave academics are a failure, not at all.  
That is not what I meant by failure!  You can
ask my students to confirm that I have an enlightened
viewpoint about pursuing non-academic careers.  

The use of the word "failure" to describe someone who simply
chooses to leave academics is entirely inappropriate
and insulting.  Unfortunately a certain type of PI has
so entrenched this attitude that even you have internalized it,
and thus wrongly ascribe it to me.  
But it isn't what I was saying, honest.

However let's not pretend that failure doesn't happen.
People can fail, whether  in business or academics.
  It may be missing a promotion,
or losing a job, or otherwise not "making it".  It may not be their 
fault, but people do fail  in any line of work, in
science or out, and it's a fact of life.   Sometimes the bar
really is too high, or its a bad fit, and they simply don't succeed.
Anyone who works in a difficult profession faces failure or the
possibility of it regularly.  But the key is not being paralyzed
by it.

Because failure is also women giving up on something they want, 
because they believe in advance that they will not 
succeed--that  they won't make it over that bar.  It's lowering
their expectations not because
they (re)evaluate their needs, responsibilities, and desires and
decide to do something else (which as you rightly point
out everyone should do), but because they GIVE UP.  They expect
that they cannot meet the demands so they don't even try.  That really
IS failure whether in academics or life.

The point of my previous post is not what career gets chosen,
 academics or otherwise, but  that women  need to make that decision
freely 
based on their needs and values, and not in fear that they can't
meet the challenge. The tragedy is to give up what you really want
to do and are suited to, because of such fear.  Give it up
because you want to do something else, and that's not failure.  Give
it up because you're afraid of doing what you want, and that is.  
Because the one sure way to fail every time is not to try.  

By the way, all the awful aspects you ascribe to 
academics are there in abundance-- offensive treatment, 
egotistical colleagues, little money, long hours, lack of respect,
massive stress, self-doubt, and worry.
But there is also freedom, and independence, and being your
own scientist.  There's the wonderful feeling
of guiding a student or postdoc till they catch on,
and can fly solo (which
I find increasingly pleasurable) or reaching your 
own little Everest with a new observation, or 
molding your lab into a team to follow your imagination and 
then seeing them lead on their own. 
 It does come at a huge cost, but then, nearly everything 
worthwhile does. 

Oh, well, I guess I'm in one of those glowing-academic moods today. 
Wait till tomorrow and I'll be my cynical self.  ;-)

-- 
-susan
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S L Forsburg, PhD  forsburg at salk.edu
Molecular Biology and Virology Lab          
The Salk Institute, La Jolla CA 
http://pingu.salk.edu/~forsburg/lab.html

Women in Biology Internet Launch Page
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