Les Henson
We all make mistakes. It is part of life and how we learn unless we are unwilling to recognise them or too stubborn to deal with them. It is not a question of never making mistakes, for mistakes are inevitable. The real issue is how we confront our mistakes once they occur. We can pretend the mistakes did not happen, but that is delusional, or we can stubbornly dig our heels in and hope that our mistakes will dissolve and disappear. But they rarely do. Cicero once said, “Any man [or woman] can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his [or her] error.” Indeed, it is only the wise that learn from their mistakes.
The only way of dealing with our mistakes is to admit them, correct them, if possible, apologise to anyone affected by them, and forgive yourself for making them. By doing so, we grow and can make progress in our lives. The wisest people I know are the ones who have made their fair share of mistakes, confronted them and moved beyond them. To keep holding fast to our mistakes, to protect ourselves from them by ignoring them or to remain intractable concerning them is the surest way to a diminished and unfulfilled life.