This question took me some thinking when I first read it, but I think I've reached a solid conclusion as to why people are afraid to make mistakes. First and foremost, mistakes are seen as negative. When you think of a mistake, you probably think of dropping a plate, or if you're closer to my age, maybe making a spelling error on a test. On a larger scale, a mistake may also be a petty argument with a friend or relative, or realizing that you were incorrect... in any case, the bottom line is that mistakes are bad, despite the learning benefits they can have.
I'm sure most of you know the mantra of "don't touch a hot stove". Well, mistakes work the same way. Most times, when they teach you a lesson, it's a painful one- maybe not in the physical sense, but certainly in the mental sense. I feel like most people are afraid of the lesson they may learn from making a mistake. In a way, they're afraid of having to prove something they already knew deep down. They're afraid of having to be foolish enough to doubt a gut feeling. I may be alone in that statement, but I always feel foolish for ever doubting my own mind once I've made a conscious mistake. Most of my mistakes tend to be lapses in judgement- misjudged character, or something I could've phrased differently. Everyone has different perception of the word "mistake", so for you it may be something entirely different. I just tend to hate the foolish feeling that comes with the newfound knowledge. I think I've come up with the perfect example, too. Have you ever found out that you've been miss-spelling a simple word for your entire life? I had a friend who constantly mixed up 'to' and 'too' and had been doing so with confidence his entire life- he didn't realize until he was 17 that he had been wrong, and it was extremely humiliating. Even though he learned the truth, he also learned that he was a moron... and that's why people are afraid of making mistakes. When you make a mistake, you are held accountable for it, regardless of the knowledge you gain- and no one wants to be held accountable for their own stupidity. - Maddie
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