Sunday, December 30, 2012

New Year Resolutions and Past Mistakes

As the New Year is approaching, most people have their New Year resolutions. I never really have any because I know I wouldn’t keep them if I just made them up for the New Year.

At this time of the year, people start thinking about their mistakes and what they want to change for the coming year. It is said that to err is human, which it certainly is, and that it is necessary and good because that way we learn from our mistakes and know how to do it right the next time.
While I do think this makes sense, I can’t help but wonder whether we really learn from our mistakes. Don’t we make the same mistakes over and over again sometimes?
I have to confess, there is one thing I always do and I know I do it wrong. I am really bad at organizing, I am just not that structured. Every year in school I made the same mistakes again. Instead of being prepared for the exams and studying in time, in order not to have too much stress later on, I always began studying very shortly before the exams, to be more precisely, the day before they took place. Or, as my father would call it, I just lived for the moment. In school this worked for me but at university there is so much more to do and it is not as easy as school. Last semester at university was the first time I did actually learn from my past mistakes and tried to avoid that stress. I managed to be prepared for the exams and it worked really well. I have never had bad grades but this time they were actually great. Unfortunately, the current semester seems to be different again. I know what my mistake is and yet it has always been hard to change it.
And think of all the New Year resolutions people have. I bet there are thousands of people who now have the exact same resolutions they had last year and the year before and yet they don't manage to abide by them and make the same mistakes every year.
Furthermore, just look at history. Sometimes it seems like we repeat all our previous mistakes, considering all the wars or any situation where people just strive for power regardless of the results and of how insane it might be.
Unfortunately, it seems like it always takes the worst outcome to make us finally change things.
Isn’t there a saying that defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?
So what does it take for us to learn from our mistakes? Do we actually really learn from them at all?
Maybe we don’t learn from history but only from our own mistakes.

As for me, I am now starting to write a paper for university, I don’t want to save it for the very last day, after all. My excuse for writing this post instead of working on my paper right now is that it has to be written in English, so this was really just a quick warm-up, of course.
 Whether or not you learned from your past mistakes, I hope your wishes for the next year come true. I wish all of you a Happy New Year!

16 comments:

  1. I'm never sure what is a mistake or isn't. It's all just life, after all. Have a Happy New Year, Kleo. It's been a pleasure meeting you here in cyberspace.

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    1. Well said. I suppose some things can be seen as mistakes though. Thank you, it has been a pleasure meeting you too!

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  2. Great post. Perhaps there is a difference between learning from one's mistakes and actually taking action based on that knowledge. Just because you've learned the best course to take doesn't mean you're going to take it. Is that really learning? I don't know. All I can say is I've learned that eating chocolate truffles increases the size of my butt, but I still choose to eat them on occassion.

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    1. Thank you. I think we know very often what is wrong and how we could improve things. I don't know whether it is really learning if you still don't change anything.
      I don't think that's a mistake, I guess you don't eat hundreds of them every day. :)

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  3. Oh yes, we do learn from our mistakes but the hardest thing to do for some people is to change the pattern of how they behave, in order NOT to make the same mistake again. I think Janene made a good point ie: eat chocolate=increase butt size, ha haha. Some people will continue to make the same mistake year in, year out until they themselves get sick and tired of doing it, then all of a sudden a light bulb switches on and they get themselves out of the vicious circle, if you know what I mean.

    Kleopatra, you've done this post now, please tell me you are fully warmed up and working on that paper :)

    Have a great, wonder Happy New Year and I'll be back to read some more of your lovely posts.

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    1. Ha ha I agree with you about the chocolate RPD.
      It is indeed very difficult for most people to change the pattern of how they behave.

      I did work on my paper. :) Just having a short break before doing some more and then preparing for the New Year :)

      Thank you, I hope you have a great New Year too and thanks for your wonderful comments.

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  4. Great post, Kleo. In a way, being organized is like always preparing yourself for the worst...it's a form of worrying. I say, embrace the fact that you're a last-minute studier who's always made good grades. I see that quality as an asset, not a character flaw. Maybe the "mistakes" we make over and over again aren't mistakes at all. Happy New Year, and good luck on your paper!

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    1. Thank you! It's nice that you see it that way, most people rather think it's a flaw. Happy New Year to you as well and thanks! :)

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  5. Awesome post!
    I could say a lot...but I am too lazy...I should probably make my resolution to stop being so lazy....hmm yea not happening anytime soon! XD

    Happy New Year!!!Wish you all the best! :D

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    1. But you weren't too lazy to write to a comment :D
      Thank you! And Happy New Year to you! :)

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  6. Sometimes people know they're repeating their mistakes but they continue doing so because they're not sure how to do something properly (just thought I'd throw that in there) Happy New Year :-)

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    1. You are right, sometimes people just don't know how to do it right.
      Happy New Year! :)

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  7. Happy New Year, Kleopatra! Wishing you the best for 2013. :)

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    1. Thanks Balqis! :) Happy New Year and all the best for you too!

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  8. Happy New Year! And thanks for bumming me out right before I get set to write my resolution post! Haha just kidding ;). I'm not very organized at all either, except the funny thing is I should be extremely organized because I have OCD, right? I guess I just got the germaphobe side of things... And as for the studying stuff... yeah, I feel you there too, I have the same problem, I always end up just barley making it through tests. I hope you have a great 2013 and have fun abroad (Tell me if you land near Wisconsin). And I'm not sure if you saw my last response to our last little chat, but... tylerjamesbraatz@gmail.com :)

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    1. Haha sorry, just ignore what I wrote and write one anyway :) Oh right, I didn't think of that...
      Well, at least we did make it through the tests :) Thank you, I hope you have a great 2013 too! Happy New Year!

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