The Wright brothers’ invention of the airplane has made things related to travel so much easier for us. We’re now able to cover incredible distances in very little time. But then, besides covering great distances while enjoying peanuts, it turns out that the invention of the airplane has given us another valuable resource—life lessons. Here are some life lessons we can take away from the Wright brothers and their first airborne contraption:
Never give up.
This saying has almost become a cliché in our time. We say it half-heartedly all the time. Beyond all the common uses for the phrase, it’s actually great advice. If the Wright brothers had quit, we might not have the kind of airplanes we have now. Although you might argue that the airplane would have been invented anyway, we may never know. However, one thing we do know is that its invention makes our life so much easier, and we’re grateful for it. Resilience is an essential attribute because almost nothing would be completed without it.
Partner up.
You can look at this as the sequel to ‘never give up.’ Sometimes, it helps to have a partner to work with. May it be a spouse, lover, or co-worker, partnering up for a task makes them so much easier to accomplish. Not just because you get to share the work, but also because you can encourage each other. It’s much harder to quit when you’re not the only one working on the project. On the other hand, if the buck starts and ends with you, it’s going to be pretty easy for you to throw in the towel and pack it up. Be like the Wright brothers—get a reliable partner for your projects.
Don’t be afraid to try it out.
There’s one part of creating and piloting the first ever airplane that most people don’t seem to get, and that’s the fact that no one has actually flown before. There was no flying training center in Phoenix, AZ that you can go to and study how to pilot an airplane. Not only were there no schools, but there were also no other flying contraptions of any kind. This is why they had to create their own plane, and then teach themselves to fly. That’s not an easy thing to do. However, it’s a fantastic lesson to learn and follow. Sometimes, if you’re in uncharted territories, you just need to forge ahead and give it a go anyway.
Get a lawyer.
This isn’t advice for you to get a lawyer so you can sue people, although you can certainly do if you need to, but to get you to protect yourself. When it became clear that they were onto something spectacular, the Wright brothers got locked in a patent war that lasted for a long time. Another individual was trying to claim the rights to some of the technology they had created. They were able to win the case, protect their invention, and carry out with their work, thanks to their lawyer. Even if you’re not creating a groundbreaking invention, it still doesn’t hurt to have a lawyer you can call.
Who would have thought that the invention of the airplane would have so many life lessons to teach? Not only can we learn how to become more resilient from the Wright brothers; looking at their achievements also makes us appreciate their invention even more.
