Smart People Learn From Other People’s Mistakes

To say that we learn from our mistakes is an almost absolute truth, especially if we are in all circumstances observers and analytical at the same time as intuitive. It is for this reason that we say that once we have acquired the teaching of a mistake, we avoid repeating the same.

In that sense, it seems rather simple to learn from failure if we ourselves have committed it. But, what if the error came from someone else? Life is limited and we don’t have enough time to make mistakes several times. So, why not pay attention to other people’s mistakes to avoid making them? It is no longer just a question of saving time: by doing this, we will avoid experiencing the negative consequences of the mistake.

Error from which we do not learn anything, error which is repeated

Since our birth, we have realized that making mistakes is a way to succeed in the medium and long term. During our first years, we failed continuously, then in the long run we reaped the fruits of these failures, with a more intense and lasting flavor. Growing up, the consequences got more complicated, but that doesn’t mean the process is completely invalid.

These consequences are also linked to the positive side that we can draw from the circumstances. That is, errors with more negative consequences are also those with greater transformative power. This is why  we must not forget that the process by which we take responsibility for the consequences can also be a great learning, and not just failure in itself.

“Mistakes – he says emphatically – are also important to me. I do not erase them from my memory or from my life. And I don’t blame anyone for it. ”

Someone once said that people come together in three big groups: those who assimilate their mistakes, those who, in addition to their mistakes, assimilate the mistakes of others and, finally, those who do none of the above.

It is good to belong to the second group because it reduces the probability of falling into a well to verify that it is there. Paying attention to what is going on around us is a weapon of defense to dodge preventable injuries.

“  Because we are all a part of what has misled us, and the link of error is sometimes stronger than any other. “

-BelénGopegui-

Others teach us things about concrete events, without our having to personally experience them. From an external point of view, we are able to arrive at these teachings with empathy and humility, without judging or criticizing. We can also do this with common sense and caution, even thinking of the possible consequences that could have arisen from implementing other options.

There is always something new to learn

But, what are the other reasons for paying attention to the behavior of others? Perhaps most important of all, there is always something new to learn. In this sense,  life is an opportunity for constant learning.

An opportunity that is part of the gift of life. In addition, beyond the pleasure that it assumes and that only a few people have found, it is a pragmatic and intelligent attitude. It may not leave all the thorns in our path, but thanks to it, we will locate a good number of them and we will be able to dodge them.

“We should be devoting ourselves to unlearning much of what we have learned and learning everything that it has not taught us. “

-Ronald Laing-

It is for this reason that it is fundamental to belong to the group of wise men who benefit from all the good things that life prepares for us. Living without paying attention to your mistakes or those of others really means not living intelligently.