The Optimism Advantage: 50 Simple Truths to Transform Your Attitudes and Actions into Results

Chapter 10. Optimists Provide Constructive Self-Criticism

"The only man who never made a mistake is the man who never does anything."

—Theodore Roosevelt

Not only can you expect to experience your share of adversity and good fortune in your life, but also you will most certainly earn your share of both successes and failures. We all make mistakes; that is a given. But optimists learn to turn those mistakes into learning opportunities that point the way to eventual success. So, how do optimists handle the mistakes that are a natural part of every person's life?

"A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."

—George Bernard Shaw

Truth #28: The More Mistakes You Make, the Quicker You Learn

Children live on a steady diet of mistakes. You can't learn to walk without falling down or to speak without mispronouncing and misusing words. It's not possible to build a learning culture if people are afraid of making a mistake; they'll go into hiding instead of learning.

Those people born before the era of frequent PC use can vividly recall the first time they touched a computer. They didn't want people to watch as they tentatively typed on the keys. They were somewhat frightened, even worried, that if they touched the wrong key, Burbank might disappear! Younger generations, however, seem to have no such fear; they are experimenting, rebooting, experimenting again—taking learning to the edge and back again. By failing, they learn faster. ...