More mistakes

I've written quite a bit about the idea of mistakes and rigidity in the past couple of weeks, so I found it very interesting to come across some more thoughts about mistakes in the book I am currently reading, On Becoming and Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity by Ellen J. Langer. These quotes are all from this book. 

"Most of us fail to engage in creative endeavors as meaningfully as we might, or even decline to involve ourselves in them altogether, because of the risk of making mistakes is too great. What does 'making a mistake' mean, and why does the urge to avoid mistakes have so much power over us?

If we don't begin with a rigid plan, it is hard to make a mistake. Our rather mindless aversion to mistakes is rooted in our belief in plans, that is, in our expectation that we should execute a plan we had previously set, with no deviations. Ultimately, this is a defeating mind-set, one that does not take advantage of what our present circumstances offer us. Mistakes, if we are attentive to them, can help us tune in to the present and allow us more mindfully to pursue our desires rather than our rigid plans. Mistakes are signals that we went off our predetermined course, but they can present us with choices we may not otherwise have recognized." (p. 75)

"Mistakes, like all evaluations, are context-dependent. In one context a mistake is an error, while in another it can be a surprise advantage." (p. 76)

"Mistakes, in this way [seeing mistakes as creating interest], encourage mindfulness. By being dissuaded from mindlessly pursuing a plan, we can place ourselves squarely in the present and create something new, outside the plan. Indeed, if we set out to paint a particular couch in a particular way without varying the script, how would that be different from painting by numbers? Once we question where our plan came from, we will recognize that it was just based on an earlier decision, with all the uncertainty endemic to decisions. The looser our plan, the more room for creating something new, which is a far more rewarding activity. As the writer Andre Gide once said, ' One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.' " (p. 78)

"If we know just where we are going we can't go anywhere new. Mistakes not only set the stage for a mindful approach to the work at hand but also reveal our individuality. When we all act according to the same plan, our final products are likely to look the same, just as machine-made rugs do. Our 'errors,' by contrast, stand a chance to be both unique and interesting." (p. 81)

"When we are first learning to do anything, we ought to expect to make mistakes, and we should see our mistakes as steps along the way to competence." (p. 84)

"To not make a mistake we have to err on the side of caution and not try anything new. Such a life would be deadening, literally and figuratively. What's more, we limit ourselves if we play it too safe. If I [the author] enter debates about psychology with only freshman or play tennis only with beginners, I narrow my experience considerably. In fact, if I put myself in situations only where I can guarantee no mistakes, I am also guaranteeing no learning and no passion. A hole in one on every hole; a home run on every at bat; an ace on every serve, all sound great unless we actually imagine how boring the games would become for us. Mistakes show us what else we might learn." (pp. 96 - 96)

This is an excellent book even if you are not interested in becoming an artist (and it might give you insight as to why you do not have that interest). I find that last quote to be compelling. Never wanting to make a mistake seems to be one of those 'be careful what you wish for' ideas. Not only do mistakes help us learn and to see things differently, they also allow us to become more competent. There is a real joy involved in finally figuring out how to do something that had seemed out of your reach, but you have to be willing to make a lot of mistakes (or engage in a lot of learning, same thing) in order to experience that joy.