The feeling to be right always couldn't possibly be right. Besides limiting your worldview, that is a downright disregard of responsibility.
Mistakes are an inevitable part of life. Whether, you have been presumptuous against your boss in the workplace, have been wrong about your bachelor's degree or mistaken for refusing to take your parents' advice, as a human being, you make or will make a mistake sometime in your life. Simply put, mistake is "to be wrong" or "to make a wrong judgment," either out of misunderstanding or blunder. Committing a mistake is very human, only admitting to it is something most humans find almost impossible to do. While mistakes are normal for humans, it is not quite normal for them to admit it. For whatever reason one desires to get it right all the time. Thus, mistakes have been associated with incapability and shortcomings. And no one likes to be seen in their failure and shortcoming.
“Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell? The brain is wired for self-justification. When we make mistakes, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jars our feelings of self-worth. And so we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility, restoring our belief that we are smart, moral, and right—a belief that often keeps us on a course that is dumb, immoral, and wrong--Carol Tavris, Ph. D & Elliot Aronson.”
What causes people to commit mistakes?
1. Failure to evaluate a situation. Most people are too much focused on what they think should be done rather than evaluating the situation thoroughly. This will often result to making more mistakes and thus failing to accomplish anything. Therefore, before taking any steps, always ask yourself how you can proceed and make the best decision.
2. Failure to plan. Planning is an essential part of any action or task. However, most people fail to set specific goals and objectives so that they will be able to make the necessary actions to achieve them.
3. Trying to do too many things at once. We often end up doing many things that we find too tedious to do. The end result is that we are overburdened with our tasks. As a result, we fail to focus on one task at a time. We tend to multitask. This can lead to making mistakes.
4. Not giving enough attention on details. Individuals who are not well organized tend to make errors more often. They are also unable to focus on details eventually leading to errors.
5. Trying to solve a mistake without identifying its root cause. Everybody makes mistakes. When you make a mistake, try to identify its cause first before you try to solve it. From there, you will know how to solve your mistake.
6. Assessing an error before correcting it. Some people think that it is better to take a chance than correcting a mistake right away. However, it is important to note that every individual has the capacity to influence or change something. By carefully analyzing an error, you will be able to make necessary changes in the future.
Often perceived to be like the end of the world at the moment committed, mistakes always feel unacceptable. Neither does it occur for a mistake to feel acceptable. And with its acceptability nowhere in sight, it's left unacknowledged. Left undiscerned, it's just a matter of time before you commit it again. If you do not acknowledge your mistake you cannot learn nor move on from it. You are then bound to repeat the same mistake.
Some of the most commonly made mistakes
1. Failing to admit mistakes
You will never admit mistakes if you do not even try to find out why you made them in the first place. So, uncomfortable as it feels, you need to figure out what caused your mistake. It is very important to understand why you did what you did. The most common excuse given by people to avoid responsibility is: I didn't know that! Don't fall into this trap.
2. Delaying admission of error
A mistake is not something that you can hide especially from your self and eventually to your community. The sooner you admit your mistakes, the sooner you can move on. People hide their mistakes because they think it will be the end of line to do so. However, hiding the truth only makes matters worse. This does not mean however that you need to tell the world about it. Only admit it to people who can support you especially to those who are directly affected by your mistake. You will be shocked at how those people would actually help you recover and make up for your mistakes.
3. Failing to state your mistake
Making a statement of facts is a very good admission of mistake. You need to own up to the fact that you have indeed made mistakes. In addition, the admission of mistakes should come with solutions. Articulate how you plan to rectify them and offer possible outcomes for your mistakes.
Concluding remarks
An open conversation is the best way to end your story. Tell your story in front of a friend or family member. If you are confident enough, you can talk to your teacher or boss about your mistake. You can explain to them that you realize your mistake and that you plan to make things right. However, if you are not confident, you can also seek professional help. Your adviser or counselor can help you work out your problem and offer you solutions.
While these are some examples of what you can do when you make an admission of a mistake, admissions of mistakes aren't the end of the world. Everyone makes errors and most of them are small and can be corrected easily. In fact, most mistakes are small and only tend to cause stress when they occur. So, don't fret too much over making an admission of a mistake.
Every single person makes mistakes. And we are all humans. There is no single person who is perfect. We all make mistakes and then we move forward and try to improve ourselves. When you make an admission of a mistake, you should try to take something positive from your experience.
Know that while mistake is "being wrong," having been able to commit it is not necessarily wrong. Don't confuse the two. Mistakes are not evil. They are merely a transition from one state to another. Focus on what you can learn from the experience. It is important that we learn to deal with these mistakes properly in order not to have them happen again.
What were your greatest mistakes? How did you handle them? Tell us on the comment section below.
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