Life’s Dichotomy- Dark Night or Dark Knight ?

That shadowy figure lurking behind every exam, presentation, or procedure… the Dementor that spikes your panic, or the invisible gremlin that whispers, “What if you mess this up so badly that even the neighbour’s cat starts judging you?”(Cats do judge! You can infer that from those eyes! LOL).

Well, the fear of failure, they say, is what stops most people from trying.

If you’ve ever flubbed something so spectacularly that you wanted to change your name and move to a deserted island, don’t worry. You’re in very good company. The greatest minds in history have all failed, and many did so with the flair of a Broadway performance.

Take Sir Alexander Fleming, for example. He discovered penicillin—one of the most life-changing medical breakthroughs—because he forgot to clean up his workbench. Had he been an obsessive neat freak, like most our South African Morobatsis, modern antibiotics might still be a distant dream.

Then there’s Thomas Edison, who famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Imagine the perseverance it takes. If Edison were an anaesthetist, we’d find him calmly trying yet another airway manoeuvre after the previous 20 failed attempts, saying, “Progress!”. Note: The airway after all this? Well the topic for another day!

As doctors, we live in a world where “oops” moments have consequences. It’s hard not to fear failure when the stakes feel so high. But failure isn’t always catastrophic. It’s often a stepping stone—albeit one we occasionally trip over face-first, occasionally ending up with the equivalent of a Le Fort 3 fracture (if the mind could ever fracture physically!).

 Let’s not forget Winston Churchill, who reminded us:

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

Ahemm… If that’s not a description of exam prep and medical training for the Valedictorians, I don’t know what is. The other mere mortals- We lose the enthusiasm!

 

Failure in anaesthesia is akin to a rite of passage. Mistakes happen, but they teach us faster than success ever could. And if you’re afraid of looking foolish, remember: even Einstein failed his university entrance exam. I’ll repeat that—Einstein. Failed.

(Though he failed in the general part, but obviously excelled in Physics and Mathematics. Else how the hell would you have the theory of general relativity?)

 

And here’s the absolute truth: Failure makes the best stories.

No one remembers the perfectly executed presentation or the smoothest procedure. Instead, people remember the near-disasters, the recoveries, and the lessons that came from those moments. I personally never remember the successes well, they are just a distant memory (to remind myself I do manage good stuff!), yet I actually remember to a pixel accuracy the things that could have gone wrong. Why? Well, not because I am a sadomasochist (obviously!), but to learn from them. Why? So I don’t ever repeat the same mistake again.

Besides, let’s face it: perfection is boring. Failure, on the other hand, comes with drama, suspense, and—when looked at in hindsight—a healthy dose of comedy. It’s the “I injected all of the bupivacaine intravenously” kind of moment that leaves you(and the consultant!) wincing(and sweating) today but laughing tomorrow... if there is a happy ending to the case. The last I heard about such a case, the patient did wake up feeling completely pain free! Well, sometimes miracles happen! The intern who injected it? Well, he has been reported as missing since then…

Note- That is a (very poor) joke by the way. That intern is alive and kicking!

 

So, if you’re stuck in the loop of fearing failure, take a deep breath and consider this practical approach:

Laugh at Yourself- Mark Twain said, “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.”

Find the funny side of your missteps—it’s cheaper than therapy.

Remember the Greats: Einstein, Edison, and even Henry Ford (who said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently”) all failed. Repeatedly. Their failures were just plot twists on their way to greatness.

 

And well, take risks anyway as Muhammad Ali put it ever so beautifully:

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

That applies to life, medicine, and facing the exams with sweaty palms.

 

In medicine, as in life, failure is not the enemy—it’s the instructor you didn’t know you needed. It teaches resilience, humility, and creative thinking. When you stumble (because you will stumble), embrace the fall, learn from it, and pick yourself back up with an extra dash of humour.

 

Because the truth is, perfection may impress people, but failing with flair and laughing about it? That’s unforgettable and a major life teacher.

As you face your fears, just remember: failure doesn’t define you—it refines you. So go ahead. Trip. Stumble. And when you get back up, do it with a wink and a smile, knowing you’re in great company.

 

After all, as Samuel Beckett once said:

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

 

And well, how better to describe all of the above in a trilogy, other than the Dark Knight?

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy isn’t just a masterclass in filmmaking; it’s a meditation on failure, its consequences, and the eventual triumphs that arise from it. Across the three films, failure plays a pivotal role in shaping not only Bruce Wayne but also the villains, Gotham City, and the story itself.

 

Batman Begins is where Bruce learns to fall, where his transformation begins. After witnessing his parents’ murder, Bruce spirals into a life of anger and purposelessness. His early attempts to confront Gotham’s crime—like impulsively trying to kill Joe—end in failure, showcasing that vengeance alone isn’t enough.

When training under Ra’s al Ghul in the League of Shadows, Bruce is taught:

“You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent.”

 

In The Dark Knight, failure hits like a freight train. This time, it’s not about Bruce’s personal shortcomings but the limits of even the noblest ideals. Batman and Harvey Dent are Gotham’s “white knights,” trying to save the city through justice and sacrifice. The Joker weaponizes their goodness, proving that chaos can consume even the purest intentions.

Batman underestimates the Joker’s unpredictability. His attempt to save both Harvey and Rachel ends in tragic failure—Rachel dies, and Harvey becomes Two-Face. It’s a gut punch that shows Batman can’t save everyone, no matter how hard he tries.

Joker’s chilling line cements this: “You didn’t think I’d risk the battle for Gotham’s soul in a fistfight with you?”

Dent’s descent into madness is Batman’s greatest failure. The Joker flips Gotham’s hero into a villain, proving Batman’s mission to “inspire hope” has backfired spectacularly.

Batman takes the blame for Harvey’s crimes to preserve Gotham’s hope, making himself a pariah. Alfred aptly sums up failure’s heavy price:

“You crossed the line first, sir. You squeezed them, you hammered them to the point of desperation.”

 

If The Dark Knight showed failure as a moral downfall, The Dark Knight Rises portrays failure as utter devastation—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Bruce Wayne starts the film as a broken man, a recluse who’s lost his purpose.

Bane doesn’t just beat Batman—he destroys him. In their first fight, Bruce’s hubris and lack of preparation lead to catastrophic failure. Bane breaks his back, both literally and symbolically.

Bane delivers the chilling line: “Victory has defeated you.” Bruce failed to adapt and grew weak in his comfort.

Bruce is thrown into “The Pit,” a metaphorical and literal representation of failure. This is Bruce’s lowest point, where he confronts his fear and mortality. He must learn to rise—not as Batman, but as Bruce Wayne.

The turning point comes when Bruce climbs the pit without the rope, embracing the possibility of failure:

“The fear of death is why you succeed.”

 

Take home message (Yes even movies have one!)-

The one that Thomas Wayne delivers to the Bruce:

“Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.”

 

And in the end, The Dark Knight Trilogy gives us a hero who isn’t perfect but perseveres—a hero who rises because he has fallen.

 

End of story- Whether you choose the Dark Knight or the Dark Night, it’s your choice to make.

Sure, the night might seem cozy with its comforting sense of hopelessness and Netflix marathons and despair, but that’s the same darkness that’ll leave you wondering why you still don’t have your life together. So go ahead, rise. Be the hero, even if it means fumbling your way through. Or don’t.

In the end, the only one who will really give a rat’s ass about your own life is you. And well, unless you can swim in the Lazarus pit, you will have only one life. So choose well.