The wisdom of making mistakes

We’ve all had those moments where we look back and wish we’d done things differently. Maybe it was a wrong decision, a careless word, or an action we regret.

Looking back, the mistakes seem so clear, but as we move forward, new ones are always waiting around the corner. And that’s okay.

True wisdom isn’t about avoiding mistakes altogether. It’s about how we handle them, how we recover, and how we find a way to keep our dignity and peace of mind intact. It’s about acknowledging that we will stumble, but not letting those stumbles define us.

Mistakes are part of being human, and the Stoics understood this well. Epictetus once said, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

We might not be able to prevent missteps, but we can control our response. We can dwell on regret, or we can treat each misstep as an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to move forward a little bit wiser.

So, wisdom doesn’t mean being flawless. It’s about resilience, about the strength to rise up, shake off the dust, and keep moving forward, knowing that each mistake carries a lesson within it.

Think of Harry Potter, who made countless mistakes throughout his journey. From sneaking around the castle at night to diving headfirst into situations without fully understanding the risks, he often found himself in tricky spots.

But what sets Harry apart is how he learns from those experiences. In *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, when Harry’s name is mysteriously entered into the Triwizard Tournament, he could have buckled under the weight of fear and confusion. Instead, he faced each task head-on, not because he was certain of success, but because he understood the importance of pushing through and adapting as he went along.

We often have this idea that wisdom means having all the answers and never making errors. But that’s a misunderstanding. Wisdom is messy; it’s full of trial and error. It’s learning how to emerge from our mistakes with a sense of self-respect, accepting that we are all still figuring things out, no matter how experienced we are.

Philosopher Seneca wrote, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Each mistake signals the end of one way of thinking and the beginning of a new, potentially wiser, approach.

The challenge many of us face is that we’re often too hard on ourselves when things don’t go as planned. We berate ourselves, thinking we should have known better, or that a wrong move marks a deeper flaw in who we are. But nobody has it all figured out, you see.

The key isn’t to avoid mistakes entirely, but to avoid making the same ones repeatedly.

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Our mistakes can act as markers, showing us where we need to adapt and forcing us to confront our shortcomings. If we learn to view our missteps not as failures, but as opportunities to improve, we’ll find ourselves growing in ways we never imagined.

Still, this doesn’t mean we have to strive for perfection. Sometimes, the deepest wisdom lies in accepting our flaws, embracing the fact that we’re still learning and evolving. Just like Harry, who never saw himself as the “Chosen One” but simply did what he could with what he had, we don’t need to be all-knowing sages. We just have to be willing to face life as it comes, with all its unpredictability, and handle it as best we can.

This is where acceptance comes in. Life will present us with challenges, whether we’re ready or not. We will make mistakes, and we will have regrets. But instead of letting those moments drag us down, we can choose to meet them head-on.

To say, “This is where I am. This is what I’ve got. I’ll make the most of it.” It’s about understanding that while we can’t change what’s already happened, we can shape how we respond moving forward.

In the end, wisdom isn’t about some perfect state where everything is clear and mistakes never happen. It’s about finding a way to navigate through life’s ups and downs with grace. It’s about understanding that every misstep is a chance to grow. Maybe we’ll be wiser for it, maybe not. What truly matters is that we don’t let our errors hold us back. We learn to take things as they come, do our best, and work on not repeating the same mistakes.

So, as you reflect on your own life, try to see your stumbles not as failures, but as markers of resilience. Every challenge, every slip-up, is a chance to build character, to find new ways to move forward.

Just like Harry, who kept pressing on even when the road was dark, and just like the Stoics who believed in the strength of persistence, we can find our own strength along the way.

Next time you find yourself reflecting on a past mistake, pause. Take a breath, and remember: wisdom isn’t about never faltering. It’s about standing back up each time you do. It’s about accepting what’s happened, taking the lessons it offers, and moving forward with your head held high. Mistakes will always be there, waiting for us.

Don’t let them define us.

Dr Nahrizul Adib Kadri is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Principal of Ibnu Sina Residential College, Universiti Malaya.

The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer’s and do not necessarily represent that of Twentytwo13.