“Making mistakes is part of being human. So why is everyone so resistant to it?
Chuildren learn by trying and failing. Then trying again. And then failing even harder. But children also live in a dream world of play, where mistakes have no consequences, nor are they burdened by the terror of self-consciousness.
So why shouldn’t adults do the same? Why shouldn’t we learn to play?
If you don’t feel like an idiot at least once a day, you need to work less and play more. Dumb errors force us to learn, progress and innovate.
Feel humiliated?
Get used to it.
If you’re not making mistakes. If you’re not regularly feeling stupid. If you don’t believe your ideas are inadequate. If no one is arching an eyebrow while slowly, condescendingly asking why on earth you’re doing this. If your ideas aren’t routinely mocked when shared with those who follow the rules.
You’re probably doing it wrong.”
– Erik Kessels, Failed It!
__________
“You will become clever through your mistakes.”
– German proverb, quoted in The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
__________
I have always been scared of mistakes.
It’s easy to avoid them if you don’t try.
Not trying is remarkably easy. You don’t attempt anything challenging.
You can actually come across as quite sophisticated and intelligent if you’re never seen to fail. It’s safe. You can hide behind mediocrity.
So what is stopping me?
Fear.
How do you get past fear?
Not by avoiding it. Turn your back and try to walk away, it follows in lockstep behind.
Fear is only real if you can’t look it straight in the eye.
What if you turn around? Step forward toward that fear?
See that the fear cannot touch us when we are in action, only when we are immobile.
If you can get past the fear then you enter the world of mistakes. And mistakes have wonderful offspring called learning.
Can I allow myself to make mistakes? I hope I do here. But because I have fear of being seen, I have not invited anyone to come watch my stumbles.
Perhaps my writing is timid because of its lack of audience. Maybe I need to send out some invites.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Someone may laugh at my pratfalls.
But isn’t laughter the best medicine?
Conversations With Quotations 