Wilson Silva
Wilson Silva
All Posts Aug 18 2014

Repeating mistakes

I believe there’s absolutely no problem in making mistakes. It happens. The Japanese have an interesting philosophy about it: “Shou ga nai”. Shou ga nai means “it can’t be helped” or “nothing can be done”. They accept reality and move on, just like Buddhists do.

Now, what I don’t believe in is the acceptance of making the same mistake over and over again. You shouldn’t make the same mistake twice, much less making a habit of it.

Some people say the best way to learn is by trial and error. I disagree with all my heart. While trial and error presents an opportunity for learning and improvement, in my opinion, learning how to do something right without making mistakes is way more satisfying.

My philosophy about mistakes is best explained with the last verse of one of my favorite rap lyrics:

I hate losing, I refuse to make the same mistake.