Friday, Dec 29, 1967. We had just received our Lower Certificate of Education (LCE) exam results.
We were the first batch that did not sit for the Secondary School Entrance Exam at the end of Standard Six (now known as Year Six) in 1964, so the LCE was our first real test. It was also the first time Mathematics was a compulsory subject to pass.
My classmates and I literally jumped with joy knowing that we passed the exam. Monday, Jan 1, 1968, was Hari Raya Puasa, so it was a doubly joyous occasion.
What about those who failed? Just imagine, from a total of six Form Three classes, the school now had only two Form Four classes. We felt for our classmates who failed. It was depressing when they studied so hard and yet did not pass.
For those who have experienced failure, particularly in education, the real pain is when their loved ones do not support them in weathering the difficult times. And they are left feeling lonely and isolated. Those aware of the competitive nature of exams in Malaysia will understand what I am talking about.
Upon seeing my friends being denied promotion to Form Four just because they did not pass mathematics and the LCE exam, I learned never to include the word “failure” in my vocabulary. The lesson stayed with me when I found myself stuck when working on my PhD thesis.
Failure and success are usually measured by comparisons. We tend to compare ourselves in a very limited capacity, restricted to what we see around us.
But we live in a big, big world. That we can still dream and hope, despite the pain and suffering that is happening globally, is a privilege many others do not have.
I have never once felt like a failure, no matter how many times things didn’t turn out the way I expected them to.
Every plan, no matter how big or small, involves others. Many elements must first come together for the plan to bear fruit. If even one piece of the puzzle does not fit right, things may not go as planned. You cannot blame yourself for things that are not under your direct control.
Your idea may have been brilliant and it may have benefited society but if others involved in the project do not share your enthusiasm, so be it.
Remember, when you face rough times, never let the pain and disappointment govern you. Stephen King and J.K. Rowling had stacks upon stacks of rejection slips before they found fame as authors. If they had given up, they would have spent the rest of their lives moping around feeling like a failure.
DR ARZMI YAACOB
Retired academic
