The Myth of the Silver Bullet

When I was teaching, I had students who’d try to find the fastest way to “get it.” They wanted the right answers, a quick fix, something foolproof. Every day, they were after a shortcut.

I remember one student—a bright kid who always asked, “Can I just skip this part? Do I really need it?” One day, I saw him get stumped on a big assignment. He tried his usual shortcuts, but nothing worked. Watching him wrestle with it reminded me that he wasn't just looking for the answer; he was looking for a guarantee that it would all work out.

And I felt that, too. Every morning now, as I scroll through Reddit’s r/Career_Advice and r/careerguidance, I see the same thing: people looking for a silver bullet. They want a path to career success that’s free of risk, failure, or trial and error. But here’s the kicker—there’s no silver bullet.

Back then, I couldn’t hand my student the “right answer” any more than I can hand a stranger on Reddit the exact steps to a perfect career. But that experience, of seeing others struggle, helped me shift my mindset. I realized that failure isn’t a dead end; it’s a stepping stone. Over time, I learned that teaching—or any job, really—is about learning through the missteps. There’s no one “right” way, only a hundred ways to keep moving forward and discovering what works.

Eventually, I noticed the shift in myself, just as I saw it in my students. The fear of getting it wrong turned into a curiosity about getting it right.

Once I embraced trial and error, my whole approach changed. I stopped looking for a perfect method and focused instead on what I could learn each day, even if it was from a Reddit post. It was never about having all the answers; it was about staying curious, staying open, and finding small wins along the way.

 I wanted to share this because so many people think there’s an easy way forward. But the truth is, the only way is through. There’s value in every misstep, and each one teaches you what you need to know to go further.

So, if you’re looking for a takeaway, it’s this: The best path isn’t the perfect one; it’s the one that keeps you moving.