“The fear factor has two sides: one positive and one negative.”
Fear can be a double-edged sword, with both positive and negative consequences. On one hand, fear can motivate individuals to take necessary precautions and drive them to achieve their goals. On the other hand, excessive fear can lead to anxiety, paralysis, and negative outcomes.
TWO SIDES OF THE COIN
ONE POSITIVE
A meaningful Story of a proud Father and lesson to society
“A heartwarming example was set by a father in Madhya Pradesh, who threw a party to celebrate his son’s failure in the high school exam. Initially, the guests were perplexed, unaware of the reason behind the celebration. However, as the party began, the father shared the news with his guests, explaining that his son had not passed the exam. Instead of lamenting the failure, he chose to celebrate it, emphasizing that he wanted his son to feel proud rather than ashamed. By doing so, he aimed to boost his son’s confidence and motivate him to work harder for the next year’s exams.
This inspiring gesture conveys a powerful message to society and children alike. By embracing failure as a learning opportunity rather than a source of shame, we can foster a more supportive and encouraging environment. Such motivation can help prevent depression and anxiety among children, promoting a happier and more resilient society.
The father’s approach demonstrates that failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone to success. By celebrating his son’s failure, he encouraged him to learn from his mistakes and strive for better results in the future. This positive attitude can have a profound impact on children’s mental health and well-being, allowing them to develop a growth mindset and approach challenges with confidence.”
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN REFLECTS UNIVERSAL REALITY
FEAR OF FAILURE : STRESS IN STUDENTS:
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The spectre of fear of failure haunts the modern student with peculiarly intense dread. This is not merely the disappointment of a poor grade, but profound, often paralyzing anxiety that feels existential. The question arises: what is the source of this pervasive stress? Is it social fear of judgement, the relentless hype from parents, or the internal turmoil of striving for extraordinary on inherently ordinary foundations? This answer lies nor a single culprit, but in a toxic alchemy of all three, creating generation navigating a high- stakes labyrinth with no clear exit.
In recent years, student stress has become a subject of national and global concern. Academic institutions report growing numbers of young people struggling with anxiety, depression, and in extreme cases, suicidal tendencies. At the center of this crisis lies the fear of failure. For many students, the prospect of not meeting expectations—be it their own or those of others—feels like a collapse of identity and self-worth. The critical question is: who bears responsibility? Is it the student’s own inadequacy, the overambition of parents, the rigidity of society, or the student’s misguided attempt to achieve the extraordinary?
The Student’s Role
On the surface, it may appear that students themselves are responsible for their stress. After all, it is they who sit for exams, compare marks, and feel the sting of defeat. Some psychologists argue that low emotional resilience, poor time management, or lack of coping strategies contribute to their inability to handle failure. A student who defines self-worth only through academic performance is more vulnerable to stress. However, this view oversimplifies the problem. Students are not isolated beings; they grow in an environment shaped by family, peers, and society. Blaming them exclusively is unjust and counterproductive.
Parents and the Burden of Expectation
Parents often play the most significant role in shaping a student’s mindset. For many families, especially in competitive societies like India, China, or South Korea, children are seen as carriers of parental dreams. A child is not just expected to succeed for themselves but also to uphold family honor and secure future stability. This projection of parental ambition transforms natural academic challenges into crushing burdens. When parents equate love with achievement, failure feels like rejection. The desire to “produce” doctors, engineers, or bureaucrats, irrespective of a child’s aptitude, becomes a primary source of stress. Thus, parents—though often unintentionally—become catalysts of fear and anxiety.
Social Pressure and Cultural Standards
Beyond the family, the larger society creates rigid benchmarks of success. Social comparison has intensified with social media, where exam results, professional milestones, and material achievements are displayed publicly. A student not only competes within classrooms but also against an invisible global scoreboard. In many cultures, career hierarchies are so deeply entrenched that only a handful of professions are seen as respectable. Such narrow definitions of success push students to equate academic setbacks with lifelong failure. Social labeling—“bright,” “average,” “failure”—further amplifies the emotional toll.
The Illusion of Extraordinary Ambition
Another dimension lies in the individual student’s aspirations. Human ambition is natural, but when it becomes disconnected from ability or realistic opportunity, it can be dangerous. A student who continuously sets extraordinary goals without evaluating personal aptitude or limitations may live in a constant state of stress. This is not to say ambition is wrong; indeed, striving for excellence is admirable. The problem arises when ambition is influenced not by genuine interest but by external glamour, peer competition, or societal validation. Such misplaced ambition can create a cycle of repeated disappointment, eventually leading some to destructive choices such as self-harm.
The Systemic Dimension
Educational systems also share responsibility. The focus on rote learning, single-exam evaluations, and high-stakes testing does not nurture creativity or resilience. Instead, it instills a belief that one wrong step can ruin a lifetime. In such systems, failure is not seen as a learning opportunity but as a permanent label. This rigid structure reinforces the fear of failure, leaving students with little room for exploration or recovery.
A Balanced View of Responsibility
To attribute responsibility to one group alone—students, parents, or society—would be misleading. The phenomenon of student stress is a collective outcome of multiple forces. Students may lack coping strategies, but parents often fuel the fire with unrealistic expectations. Society glorifies only a narrow definition of success, while the education system rarely provides space for resilience and alternative pathways. All these together create an ecosystem where failure is intolerable, making students feel trapped.
Preventing the Cycle
Breaking this cycle requires a cultural shift. Parents need to recognize that unconditional support is more valuable than pressurized ambition. Educational systems must move toward holistic evaluation and teach coping strategies as part of the curriculum. Society must broaden its definition of success, celebrating not just doctors or engineers but artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers. And students themselves must learn that failure is not an end but a step in growth. Only through collective responsibility can the fear of failure be reduced.
Conclusion
The stress borne by students is not a personal weakness but a reflection of broader societal failings. When a young person ends their life due to academic pressure, it is not simply their tragedy—it is society’s. Fear of failure will always exist, but whether it becomes destructive depends on how families, schools, and communities frame failure itself. If failure is treated as shame, stress will thrive. If it is treated as a natural part of growth, students will not merely survive but flourish. Responsibility, therefore, lies with all: parents, educators, society, and students themselves.
