Buzz Aldrin's Advice On 'Failure' Brings Smiles To Twitter

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Have you recently botched something up? Don’t worry… it just means that you’re a human being like the rest of us, Buzz Aldrin says.

On Monday, Aldrin – one of the first humans to walk on the moon and an outspoken advocate for space exploration – gave a short-but-well-received boost of reassurance for those feeling down in the dumps about a recent mission failure.

Here’s what Aldrin tweeted at 5:34 p.m. on Dec. 10:

“But failure is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you are alive and growing. #chinup”

The Twitter advice from Aldrin, a Montclair native who regularly gets thousands of likes and reactions, seemed to hit home for many social media users. Seen online:

• “Thank u Buzz. I have felt like a complete failure for quite some time. I seem to mess things up in just about every area of my life and it just sucks. Your words are kind and I will use them to try and help. I’m such a big time fan of yours here in Indiana! Thank u again.”
• “I love this. I will share this with my students. You're always welcome to visit our school!”
• “You define the spirit of NASA.”
• “Saber perder, é uma vitória! Crescemos, assim! (Knowing how to lose is a win! We grew up like this!)”
• “The space program was built on failures. Have to learn what doesn’t work first.”
• “I needed this today. Thanks Buzz.”

“You have no idea how much I needed to read these words right this second,” one Twitter user wrote, summing up the feelings of many. “And the fact it’s come from you makes it even more powerful.”

• See related article: Buzz Aldrin Outlines Vision To Settle Mars During SXSW Appearance
• See related article: Montclair's Buzz Aldrin: 1st Man To Pee On Moon, Take Selfie In Space

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page here.

Photo: Kammerer,Bernd/Action Press/Shutterstock (International Frankfurt motor show IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung), Frankfurt, Germany - 15 Sep 2017)