Schoolroom of University of life - an Engineer's perspective

"Life is a schoolroom, it is a place to learn lessons."
I hear this a lot.
It's a good analogy.

"Ok, Mr University teacher, what would it mean ?"

Well it would mean that the lessons are going to have to pitched at the 'right' level for the students.
If my students could do all the lessons perfectly and they never stumbled, then the lessons are too easy.

If my students hardly got any of my lessons right, the course would be too hard.

"Correct"

But there is gem hidden in all this isn't there ?

"Yes"

Students would have to get some lessons right, and some lessons they would have to redo, and try at a number of times.
That would be a good school and a good course.
Which means: that when I look down on myself, and others, for NOT getting their life into perfect order it is actually a silly thing to do.

The school of life is designed so that we will stumble and fall sometimes. It is in the nature of a 'school', in the nature of all learning.

That is the gem isn't it ? I don't have to be down on myself for not getting a perfect life together, because I have a real life in the University of life.

And it means: what I have called 'failure' in my life, is simply: a lesson, something to learn and do better in a new way next time... hmm... I like that perspective.
It is like saying ' do this one again, you didn't get the right answer here'.
It is a gentle, strong gentle way to see it.

"Yes, it IS a good way to look at it :-) ".

In Engineering the best energy transfer for heat is when half the heat is lost and half is passed on. So it is with the lessons, it may not be 'half' but there is a balance for the right number of lessons.

Everyone gets the right difficulty served up.
Every lesson CAN be passed.
Every lesson can be passed at the lowest, middle, highest level.