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Dean Gems

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What are the 10 Mistakes we all make?

As long as man has existed, mistake has been his faithful companion. Across cultures, traditions and societies , all make mistakes, some funny and some not so funny! However, there seem to be certain events or phenomenon that just repeat itself in every person's life; a common set of slips and errors in judgement that invariably we all commit. Maybe if we have a list, life could be much easier...

Here's my top 10:

1. Belief that we should never make any mistakes.
2. Turning a blind eye to our mistakes.
3. Letting emotions cloud our judgement.
4. Stop learning and educating ourselves.
5. Giving up too easily.
6. Looking for short-cuts and quick-fixes to our problems.
7. Assuming we are smarter than others.
8. Not taking responsibility for our life.
9. Forgetting to enjoy and celebrate life and family.
10. Repeating any of the above.

I am sure each one of us can relate to atleast one of the above. Do share your list of bloopers as long as it may be..
Surely, we all can learn and enjoy the foibles of life and it feels good to know that we all have made the same boo-boo!!!

Related Talks:
Topics: mistake wrong
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    Robin Patin 10+

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    Jan 13 2012: Biggest life mistake :

    1) Trying to avoid all mistakes in life.

    For some people, mistakes provide rich life learning material. Its not that you make mistakes, but how you relate to those mistakes and learn from them that ultimately matters. A life without true mistakes means that you are not stretching your capabilities into new territories.

    Just don't make the same mistake twice. An error made once is a mistake. An error made twice is a choice.

    Go into the world. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Do better.
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    Krisztián Pintér 200+

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    TED Translator
    Jan 12 2012: nice list, congratulations.

  • dru banaszak

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    Jan 12 2012: I think some people tend to act on impulse rather than give their decisions an actual thought. Of course ending w/ a mistake. I feel ego and pride are much of the same.Bottom line?We are human beings,we tend to make mistakes-If we stop learning from them?Well,then we're in a bit deep.Lets continue to learn !
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    Vivek Trivedi 10+

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    TED Translator
    Jan 12 2012: Out of your top 10, Points 1, 2,7 are simply ego issues, which needs personal introspection at times. The biggest mistake we all tend to make at some point of time in our lives, is getting demotivated by few failures and our mood swings impact the well being of our near and dear ones. I have started believing that feeling of being alive shall be given utmost priority in life, rest things will look shallow automatically.
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      Dean Gems

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      Jan 12 2012: Your observation is correct in most cases, but as I have replied below to Dru, I feel regarding 1,2 and 7, that often denial of certain mistakes is a form of defence mechanism so that we don't have to face the truth that our best judgement has failed us, thus casting a doubt on out decision making ability. Often, anger, resentment stem form these issues of confrontation.
      Living life is truly an art and that is an astute point from you.
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      joy faber 10+

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      Jan 12 2012: Vivek, I want to thank you for bringing this up. In spite of all the talks about failure being a positive, when it happens, when I'm really beat down, sometimes it's damn hard to get up, admit I failed, and move on.I just competed in an art show, in November, where I usually do well. It was a miserable failure. Just a few weeks after that my son-in-law, of only six months, died of colon cancer. Then it snowed for three weeks, melted quickly and left us trapped in our house by 8-12 inches of mud. After three months I am just now getting new ideas, getting out of the house, and trying to get back on my feet. Yes, yes, yes to all of the above! Denial, self-doubt, anger, resentment all inevitable, all devastating to our progress.

  • David Hsing

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    Jan 12 2012: I have asked similar questions many times before. Sometimes I got no answers at all, sometimes I got different answers to the same question dependent upon when and how I felt when answering. After many years I finally realized that probably I have asked "wrong" questions.
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      Dean Gems

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      Jan 12 2012: haha...people are pretty conservative when it comes to introspecting oneself critically I guess...anyway, even one good reply will is enough to make people think....in the end I think that counts for more..

      • dru banaszak

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        Jan 12 2012: I feel there is a list in a list of mistakes.First, WE deny we've made a mistake. Second, We don't take responsibility for our mistakes and then we don"t apologize (then we"d be admitting we've even made a mistake) Think About It. It"s got to be a pride thing-i don"t know.
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          Dean Gems

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          Jan 12 2012: As vivek in the above comment pointed out, it is an ego issue, but if I were to zero in on the problem, i would say that sometimes, the realisation that our judgement has failed us pushes us into a vulnerable situation and to overcome it, as a defence mechanism we tend to ignore it. Usually following a mistake of grave naturem our confidence level takes a drive down and we become too cautious.
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    joy faber 10+

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    Jan 10 2012: Not understanding (at a young age) that everything I do affects other people
    Not asking for advice more often
    Taking things people say too personally
    #s 3. 5. and 9.
    Allowing fear to stop me from doing/trying something
    Talking too much--not listening enough
    Taking people and things for granted
    Underestimating myself

    Thank you for starting this conversation. Seems people are not into self-examination these days, but I found the talk and your thread intensely thought provoking. I have found that regrets which hurt me deeply have turned out to be good choices (in the long run). Other choices, which I took lightly at the time, have turned out to be the things I wish I could change.

    • dru banaszak

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      Jan 12 2012: Joy, You sound very smart for a person of a young age. Kudos to you for putting it out there ! It is funny isn"t it how our regrets can turn for the better. You have the power to change the things you wish you could ! Good luck in your life.

  • kareem shams

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    Jan 7 2012: we didnt try to know why god create us?
    and what is our role in the life?
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      joy faber 10+

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      Jan 12 2012: or spent too much time trying to figure it out and not enough time doing the things we love with the ones we love. God is no figure-out-able!
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