I Should make More Mistakes

When learning Japanese. Seems simple enough, but when you think about it, we’re wired to try to avoid making mistakes. It’s embarrassing. It’s painful. Yadah yadah yadah. Mistakes aren’t things that we as humans like to make.

There’s a few reasons for this.

1. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not pushing boundaries. If you’re not pushing boundaries, you’re going to end up learning at a slower pace.
2. If you’re afraid of making mistakes, you won’t try to learn new things. To learn new things, you have to make a lot of mistakes.
3. If you make a mistake, you can learn what you did wrong. Going back and learning why you did something wrong gives you better insight into the thing you’re learning. If you’re not doing this, you’re just skimming the surface.
4. If you’re not willing to make mistakes, you’re probably not willing to practice conversation with people. Practicing conversation is really important. It helps you to practice recalling things you’ve learned in new and different situations. Remember how important recalling information is for learning?
5. Mistakes mean you’re trying. If you’re trying… well, that means you’re trying. You should try more.

The list actually goes on and on. No matter who you are, you can strive to make more mistakes. The important thing, however, is learning from them. This also isn't just for learning languages but can apply to anything that involves learning.