If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Answer 1

Never heard this one before...interesting.

Hm, I would you say you succeeded. Let me propose two
scenarios:

A) If you tried to fail BUT succeeded instead, then you STILL succeeded (whether you wanted to or not).

In this case, you succeeded even if you wanted to fail.

Example: You threw a basketball in the air wanting it to miss, but it went in instead. Swish! Congratulations, you succeeded in making the shot even if you didn't want to. Call it blind luck.

B) If you tried to fail AND succeeded, then that means you failed and you're happy that you failed.

Example: You threw a basketball in the air, wanting it to miss. Sure enough, the ball landed a few feet away from the court. You succeeded in missing. Congratulations.

In both scenario A and B, you succeeded.

Answer 2

Did you succeed in failing? Or did you succeed (failing to succeed in failing)? It all depends on how you look at it? Are you a psychology major?

Answer 3

There are two possible statements here.

One, you started something actually trying to fail in doing what you said you were doing; or
Two, you try to do something expecting to fail and not expecting to succeed in doing what you said you were doing.
In both cases, you postulate that you succeeded. In case One, you could have been wrong about your science--it's the only way you could have succeeded. Success in reality requires you to know what you're doing and do it well-enough.
In case Two, you could have had just enough to succeed.
The first is called fooling yourself.
The second is called dumb luck plus hard work.

Answer 4

You would succeed in failing

Answer 5

You have done both because you have succeeded at failing.

Answer 6

Very interesting question. I would have to say you suceeded, because you did what you set out to do.

Answer 7

Who would try to do that? Well, it sounds ironic and good to me.