“The man who never makes a mistake always takes orders from one who does.”
This quote should be enough to get readers of it into action. It can be seen as a threat in a way, pointing out that any avoidance of activity that could lead to a mistake is acceptance of being led by another person who was willing to go through that type of mistake. The point here does a fine job of keeping your thoughts in line with the understanding that there are others at the same point as you, and the ones who are willing to err, while progressing forward, are the ones who can lead individuals that were not up for the challenge.
This also informs/reminds that people who are rising quickly in their field of interest are making mistake after mistake, and are more than fine with it, as those mistakes are irrelevant when compared with the progression enabled by them. Leadership can be thought of as one person handling those who didn’t aspire to travel through the mistakes that he did. It also tends to be the case that the leader is not too different in ability from the others, but that the key point of willingness to err and come out wrong is what distinctly separates the two groups.
You would do well to look at people that are at a similar decision-making point, and ask yourself if you would be alright having them as your superiors. If this is not the case, the decision of whether to accept mistakes as possible outcomes, and progress forward, should be clear.
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There’s not a lot that I can say about this quote that you already haven’t Armen. I have found that I learn my skills and lessons much faster when I take action, than when I read and/or think about them. Fear of failure is such a silly fear, because it ultimately is self-fulfilling, because eventually, you fail due to inaction.
Trey: That does sound about right. I think that at a certain point, after absorbing a concept such as this, it becomes harder to be inactive, because you know the effects that result from that state.
I wouldn’t necessarily tie success and mistakes so closely together. While unwillingness to act is a mistake in and of itself, there are times when yes, you should avoid situations with obvious detrimental consequences. Although, as my band director says, “if you’re going to make a mistake, do it proudly. Say “HAH! IM WRONG!” not “oops, did i mess up?”
Corey: That is another way to look at the process. It can be viewed that I am somewhat recommending the pursuit of mistakes. I would add in that I would recommend the allowance of their occurrence, but not the purposeful interest in accumulating them. I think human nature would tend to provide notice of the same mistake occurring in the same way multiple times.
Your band director sure does add boldness to the making of mistakes, and that is a vital way to respond to them, in order to not look at them in a negative light.
Great post. I was lucky enough to learn when I was young that it is okay to make mistakes and it is better to just say “I made a mistake” as opposed to trying to pass it off on someone or somewhere else. I think people who make mistakes and recognize it and admit it will get further in life and be respected more for it.
Tina: That is a fine item to learn early on. The difference between learning it early on, and not learning it at that time, is huge because of the years of progress that are gained between those times. The point about respect there is also one to ascertain, as we have to realize that people put themselves in our position when they see us make a mistake, and understand our boldness in having made an effort with chance of error.
I miss you armen. By the way, great article!!
I love it
Sir: I am glad to hear from you. Thank you for that. Your actions are a fine example of those being taken by someone willing to make mistakes and move steadily forward.
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