On July 31 Simone Biles announced that she would withdraw from the final floor competition at the Tokyo Olympics. USA Gymnastics tweeted out that “Simone has withdrawn from the event final for floor and will make a decision on beam later this week.” Biles also claimed that she was suffering from the “twisties” and that it was dangerous for her to compete. Celebrities were quick to support and even celebrate her decision. Biles stated that both Michael Phelps and Oprah Winfrey reached out to her.
Now perhaps competing was dangerous. Most of us are not gymnasts and will never know what a professional gymnast goes through. Maybe, dropping out was the right decision for her.
However, all of the hubbub around her decision serves to distract from an important fact; Simone Biles failed. She failed herself, she failed her team, and she failed her country. And she should feel bad.
Saying this is not cruel or a license for internet trolls to berate her. It is merely a recognition that what she was striving for was valuable and she did not perform up to her full potential. If what she did was not failure, then why be a gymnast in the first place? If it is so pointless that quitting because of your mental health is celebrated more than winning gold, then what is the point?
Saying that something is a fail does not automatically make someone a failure. What makes people into failures is telling them that their fails are completely excusable and even worthy of celebration. The concept of failure is valuable because it lets you know that you didn’t perform in a manner consistent with greatness and allows you to change your conduct accordingly.
The fact that people are slobbering over Biles more than the members of USA Gymnastics who won gold such as Suni Lee, illustrates how our society is attempting to eliminate the entire concept of failure.
This is mainly a trend driven by the left and is reflected in the fat positivity movement currently sweeping our country. As with many self-indulgent movements, the Fat Acceptance Movement began in the 60s in order to eliminate bias against fat people and make them feel comfortable with themselves. Now that the movement has become mainstream woke companies like Athleta are bowing to its dictates by dropping trim models and manikins for obese ones in oversized clothing.
This would be a good idea if the message was “you are overweight and we have made workout clothes for you so that you can go to the gym and get your life together.” However, the message is completely the opposite. In January Athleta announced that it would be training its employees on body positivity language. It seems that Athleta and other woke institutions have forgotten that not being a jerk is different from celebrating an unhealthy trend in society.
The end goal of the people who attempt to eliminate the concept of failure is to destroy our sense of telos. Telos is a Greek concept developed by Aristotle, positing that things are inherently meant for an ultimate end. In America, the end of humanity is commonly thought of as virtue, strength, courage, faith, and meaning. By eliminating the concept of failure and ushering in an era of unmitigated self-esteem the radicals are destroying the ability of people to improve themselves and lead a good life. This is certainly not compassionate. Failure hurts, but it hurts for a reason. Telling people that everything is ok when they fail is a lie that prevents them from overcoming obstacles in order to better themselves.
