“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”—Confucious
***
Is there anyone, man or woman, who has ever claimed, “I have never made a mistake”? By making such a statement, they have already erred. Regardless of our diligence, we are inevitably prone to errors. This is true even for renowned individuals.
George Washington did so before he became the first president of the United States. During his initial military campaign, committed a significant blunder. At that time, the American colonies had not yet initiated their rebellion, which would occur two decades later. Washington was serving the British, who were engaged in a “cold war” with France, as both nations vied for global territories, including regions near Virginia.
On one occasion, Washington and his forces encountered a group of French soldiers encamped in their territory and launched an attack, resulting in the deaths of ten men and the capture of others. He acted impulsively, firing first and seeking clarification afterward. It was later revealed that the group was a diplomatic delegation, and among those killed was a prominent French ambassador.
Washington had committed a significant blunder. The two predominant military forces of that era transitioned from a state of cold war to an active conflict.
Now, consider yourself in Washington’s position, having made that error. What reflections would you share with yourself regarding this situation? How would this mistake align with the broader narrative of your existence?
“Mistakes are a part of being human,” author Al Franken wrote in 2002’s Oh, The Things I Know. “Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it’s a fatal mistake which, at least, others can learn from.”
“When you make a mistake, don’t look back at it long,” suggests Hugh White. “Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.”
Here’s another one from Hollywood actress Mary Pickford: “If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you.”
To which Norman Vincent Peale adds, “No matter what mistakes you may have made – no matter how you’ve messed things up – you still can make a new beginning. The person who fully realizes this suffers less from the shock and pain of failure and sooner gets off to a new beginning.”
At one time, I came across a poster which had these thought-provoking lines: “A doctor’s mistake is buried. A lawyer’s mistake is imprisoned. An accountant’s mistake is jailed. A dentist’s mistake is pulled. A pharmacist’s mistake is dead. A plumber’s mistake is stopped. An electrician’s mistake is shocking. A carpenter’s mistake is sawdust. A teacher’s mistake is failed. A printer’s mistake is redone. And yours?”
Well, don’t worry about making mistakes. God has given us the power to make our own choice. After all, as Mahatma Gandhi puts it, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
If you fail in the beginning, well, that is not the end of the world. Why don’t you try and try again until you succeed. Remember Abraham Lincoln’s road to the White House? He failed in business in 1831 and was defeated by the legislature in 1832. His second failure in business took place in 1833. He suffered a nervous breakdown in 1836.
Seven more defeats happened: for Speaker in 1838, for Elector in 1840, for Congress in 1843, for Congress again in 1848, for Senate in 1855, for Vice President in 1856, and for Senate in 1858. He became the 17th president of the United States in 1860. He was reelected in 1864.
If you’re worried that you have committed a mistake, you are not alone. Scientist Albert Einstein himself admitted, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Elbert Hubbard agrees: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually fear you will make one.”
Once you have made a mistake, try to correct it. “When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it – immediately,” Stephen R. Covey suggests.
Confucius also reminds, “A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.”
And never, never cry over spilled milk. Here’s what Jerry Gillies said, “I have made decisions that turned out to be wrong, and went back and did it another way, and still took less time than many who procrastinated over the original decision. Your brain is capable of handling 140, 000 million bits of information in one second, and if you take hours or days or weeks to reach a vital decision, you are short-circuiting your most valuable property.”
We must never overlook the untold benefits that can be derived from mistakes. A person should never hesitate to admit he has been in the wrong, which is saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday, because of his mistake.
What did Nadine Stair say again about committing blunders in life? “If I had my life to live over,” she declared, “I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.”
R. Buckminster Fuller also stated, “You can never learn less; you can only learn more. The reason I know so much is because I have made so many mistakes.”
