Why You Should Make Mistakes
- By Chase Stowers
- Published 02/26/2010
- Advice
- Unrated
I was researching about mistakes, and came upon this quote by Niels Bohr, the famous physicist and part of the Manhattan Project:
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
This is probably the most direct quote when it comes to my views on mistakes. There is no success without mistakes.
In fact, due to my repeated thinking on the matter, I have surmised that there are only three rules when it comes to mistakes. Like everything worthwhile, they are simple but not easy to put into effect.
Make as many mistakes as you can, preferably as soon as you can.
Don't make a fatal mistake if you can help it
Don't make the same mistake twice
Although I probably don't have to explain these very much, I am going to do so just for the sake of clarification.
1. Make As Many Mistakes As You Can
This is the rule that is probably the most puzzling to people. If you are making mistakes, then you are not succeeding, right? Well, technically you are not, but mistakes mean that you are usually heading in the right direction.
I have read and witnessed kids who were sheltered their whole life and then, after getting into college and getting into the real world they become nuts - it's all too much to handle for these kids. This happens mainly because they were sheltered and they didn't have the opportunity to make mistakes. In a way, their growth was stunted. Better to figure the world out when you are young rather than when you are older and have more on your plate.
2. Don't Make A Fatal Mistake
This one is pretty obvious - don't make a mistake so big that you could possibly die or will die because of it. And don't think that because you haven't died after making a fatal mistake that you are not going to die. Your luck will run out. If you are using drugs or driving drunk somethings going to happen eventually. If you dance with the devil, you better make sure you're keeping step - and eventually you won't.
There is a reason that insurance doesn't pay out in the event that you die in a bungee jumping accident or the like - because they are unnecessary risks. I wouldn't say that they are fatal mistakes per se but you are definitely putting your life on the line for some cheap thrills.
Fortunately, fatal mistakes are pretty easy to spot, so stay away.
3. Don't Make The Same Mistake Twice
This one is also pretty obvious - if you are making the same mistakes, you are not learning from them. Do you no what the definition of insanity is? It is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
How many insane people do you know? I can name quite a few. For the longest time I was doing the same thing - repeating my mistakes. Repeating mistakes is just as bad as not doing anything. It might be worse, as you are essentially guaranteeing your failure.
If I think of any more rules, I will post them in a future article, but for now I am content to stick with three. Three is a nice round number, ain't it?
What mistakes are you thankful for making? And which ones are you not?
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
This is probably the most direct quote when it comes to my views on mistakes. There is no success without mistakes.
In fact, due to my repeated thinking on the matter, I have surmised that there are only three rules when it comes to mistakes. Like everything worthwhile, they are simple but not easy to put into effect.
Make as many mistakes as you can, preferably as soon as you can.
Don't make a fatal mistake if you can help it
Don't make the same mistake twice
Although I probably don't have to explain these very much, I am going to do so just for the sake of clarification.
1. Make As Many Mistakes As You Can
This is the rule that is probably the most puzzling to people. If you are making mistakes, then you are not succeeding, right? Well, technically you are not, but mistakes mean that you are usually heading in the right direction.
I have read and witnessed kids who were sheltered their whole life and then, after getting into college and getting into the real world they become nuts - it's all too much to handle for these kids. This happens mainly because they were sheltered and they didn't have the opportunity to make mistakes. In a way, their growth was stunted. Better to figure the world out when you are young rather than when you are older and have more on your plate.
2. Don't Make A Fatal Mistake
This one is pretty obvious - don't make a mistake so big that you could possibly die or will die because of it. And don't think that because you haven't died after making a fatal mistake that you are not going to die. Your luck will run out. If you are using drugs or driving drunk somethings going to happen eventually. If you dance with the devil, you better make sure you're keeping step - and eventually you won't.
There is a reason that insurance doesn't pay out in the event that you die in a bungee jumping accident or the like - because they are unnecessary risks. I wouldn't say that they are fatal mistakes per se but you are definitely putting your life on the line for some cheap thrills.
Fortunately, fatal mistakes are pretty easy to spot, so stay away.
3. Don't Make The Same Mistake Twice
This one is also pretty obvious - if you are making the same mistakes, you are not learning from them. Do you no what the definition of insanity is? It is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
How many insane people do you know? I can name quite a few. For the longest time I was doing the same thing - repeating my mistakes. Repeating mistakes is just as bad as not doing anything. It might be worse, as you are essentially guaranteeing your failure.
If I think of any more rules, I will post them in a future article, but for now I am content to stick with three. Three is a nice round number, ain't it?
What mistakes are you thankful for making? And which ones are you not?
Chase Stowers
Chase Stowers is a blogger who writes about hints and hacks for a better life. His blog, Chase Stowers Dot Com, deals with all sorts of self-improvement, from physical improvement, as well as mental, financial, and entrepreneurial. He started blogging in November 2008.
View all articles by Chase Stowers