I’m not entirely sure why, but I find myself drawn to reading about failures and the reasons behind them, far more than success stories. There’s something uniquely compelling about failure—it often teaches us hard, invaluable lessons that are nearly impossible to grasp when everything goes smoothly. Success, on the other hand, can sometimes be attributed to a stroke of pure luck, leaving fewer insights to learn from.

Similarly, when I’m considering a purchase, I tend to focus on the negative reviews (those rated 3 stars or below) rather than the glowing, positive ones. Negative reviews often provide more logical, specific reasoning as they shed light on potential deal-breaking issues. That said, they can sometimes veer into irrelevant complaints that don’t resonate with me. For example, when I’m browsing book reviews on Amazon to decide whether a book is worth reading, I frequently come across one-star reviews criticizing the print or paper quality. If I’m planning to buy the digital version of the book, those complaints become irrelevant to my decision-making process—even though they might be incredibly important to someone else.

In essence, I find value in the nuanced, sometimes brutally honest critiques that failures and negative feedback offer. They paint a more realistic picture—one that helps me make better decisions and understand the world a little more clearly.