# Thought Provoking Quote on Mistakes...



## gracie07 (Jun 21, 2007)

This quote really resonated with me:



> *If you do nothing
> 
> then you make no mistakes.
> 
> ...


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

Yep, it's the tragedy of idleness. 

I've been really on myself to go out, knowing I'm going to make all kinds of mistakes. Mistakes should be down-played, as they are simpy by-products of living life. Without them, you're not likely doing much with your life.


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

I like this alot. I'm going to add to it just for my own affirmation; If I try something and learn from my mistakes I will be a real person able to relate to other real people and I will gain much from learning from my mistakes.


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

It's nice to think about how this practically applies as well. 

Think about all the challenging things you've learned in your life. The first times your tried them, you probably made all kinds of mistakes that look silly today. The key was that you were not deterred by them. If you expect to make NO mistakes, then you are not being realistic. 

Learning virtually REQUIRES mistakes. Mistakes give you the opportunity for better understanding because they allow you to compare error to success. Seeing that whole range of possibility is extremely helpful in understanding something more completely.


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## floatinghope (Sep 16, 2007)




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## Slothrop (Aug 11, 2007)

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." 

-Samuel Beckett


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## Gena320 (Jul 1, 2007)

Making mistakes and learning from them is a bit easier for some then for others. Personally-speaking I have a difficult time making mistakes, especially in front of others. I don't know how to properly cope with the criticism, put-downs and ridicule that come with making errors publically. I'm a really sensitive, emotional person and criticism in my mind means that you think I'm incompentent and worthless as a human being. The fact that people take the time to criticize me when I make mistakes, leads me to believe that they expect perfection from me and that I need to be perfect in order to be accepted. Being a perfectionist, I have to be right all the time...if I'm wrong, I'm inferior as a human being. Since I know that I can't achieve my own high standards and I don't want to hear other people's judgments, I don't attempt anything at all most of the time. This is the main reason unfortunately why my growth as a person has been stunted for quite a few years. 

Although, I agree 100% with what you guys wrote, sometimes making mistakes isn't so easy, especially for perfectionists, such as myself.


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

Gena320 said:


> Making mistakes and learning from them is a bit easier for some then for others. Personally-speaking I have a difficult time making mistakes, especially in front of others. I don't know how to properly cope with the criticism, put-downs and ridicule that come with making errors publically. I'm a really sensitive, emotional person and criticism in my mind means that you think I'm incompentent and worthless as a human being. The fact that people take the time to criticize me when I make mistakes, leads me to believe that they expect perfection from me and that I need to be perfect in order to be accepted. Being a perfectionist, I have to be right all the time...if I'm wrong, I'm inferior as a human being. Since I know that I can't achieve my own high standards and I don't want to hear other people's judgments, I don't attempt anything at all most of the time. This is the main reason unfortunately why my growth as a person has been stunted for quite a few years.
> 
> Although, I agree 100% with what you guys wrote, sometimes making mistakes isn't so easy, especially for perfectionists, such as myself.


I've got very strong perfectionist tendencies myself, Gena320. I spent most of my entire college life excessively studying so that I could get all A's every quarter (not A-, haha). I had a 4.0 in high school, and a 3.95 in college (which took a lot more time/effort).

I can still find it difficult to make mistakes, especially when someone I'm working with does seem to expect perfection. Nevertheless, _privately_ accepting that we're not perfect while looking for mistakes in others (a great exercise for perfectionists IMO... look at how flawed people are, and yet they're accepted) can potentially decrease our sensitivity to perceived failures/mistakes.

After all, if trying to be "perfect" hasn't lead to social success so far, then why should this standard be maintained?


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## social_awkward_butterfly (Feb 17, 2007)

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Thin ... ively.html


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## Gena320 (Jul 1, 2007)

I wish I could be the type of person that thinks to herself, "well atleast I tried it even if I failed at it," but all I can think of in the back of my head is someone laughing at me and ridiculing me. I feel like people's attitudes towards others mistakes keeps them from growing. It keeps them stuck in the same place in life...it's like they expect you to fail and almost want you to fail. They want to see you thrown there on the floor in need of help, and if they see you there they're just going to walk right over you, step all over you and just keep on walking. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel threatened by people and I don't feel safe enough in this world to take the risks that I want to take. I just wish people were more understanding and compassionate towards each other. I know I'm overgeneralizing but this is what my illogical little mind tells me over and over again in my little head. 

Sorry, I know I've got issues  I have a feeling that if I keep this up I'm going to get kicked off of the positive thinking forum  I'm just kidding. But in all honesty, I think this is one of my biggest sa-related problems.


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

Yes, it is a generalization, but you see that. It's good to be able to at least recognize a difference in how we _feel_ the world is and how complex it _actually_ is. I've always liked the movies that go into many different perspectives of a single event, and how each person misinterprets the intentions of others. This sort of thing happens all the time in real life. Countless times I've assumed the worst from the intentions and motivations of literally everyone around me. I felt like everyone was laughing at me and ridiculing me, but I grew to intellectually know that I had no evidence for such a bold claim, and there was plenty of evidence to the contrary!

When we can't yet recognize that there is a gap between what our knee-jerk, socially anxious interpretation of reality is and how it actually is, we are still completely feeling and believing that literally everyone (or the vast majority of people) is against us.

What kinds of risks would you like to take these days? Just curious. You obviously don't have to tell me, as it's ultimately none of my business.


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