Making Mistakes

I have a niece who just graduated from college, but for the most part has very limited life experience. She has never lived in a foreign country, she has not been married or raised children, has not served in the military or the peace corps, nor has she yet held down an actual career. She still lives at home with her parents. Even though her life experience is very limited, she is strongly convinced that she is right about everything. The "arrogance of youth" that most of us experience. Eventually with sufficient life experience most of us work our way beyond this destructive youthful arrogance.

Yesterday she posted a quote on Facebook today which says, "Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes." --Happy Birthday Mr Wilde.

For years I have said that anyone who is not making any mistakes isn’t doing anything. That is really a good bit different than saying that one should never regret one’s mistakes.

I do regret having hit that pedestrian with my parent’s car when I was joy riding with my friends, way back before I was even old enough to get my driver’s license.

I’ve never been an alcoholic, but for years I sure did drink too much. I think it would be entirely appropriate for any alcoholic who is dying of cirrhosis of the liver to justifiably have regrets. I certainly do regret that I got addicted and smoked cigarettes for so many years.

Part of growing up is gaining the understanding that it is entirely appropriate for you to regret certain things you have said or done. Especially when your actions resulted in other people getting hurt. These regrets help you not make the same mistakes time after time. This is called wisdom.

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