Learning from our own experiences or learning from others’ experiences? What's better?
It is said that mistakes are necessary for the process of learning. The more we fall, the more we learn but, do you think this is practical and wise? Is it reasonable to let others suffer due to the mistakes that we make in the process of learning and improvising? Don't you think problems could have been avoided if you just made a few learned decisions?
Have you ever thought about the pain you made your parents go through when you ignored their calls while you were roaming around with your buddies, while you were puking your guts out at some insignificant pub, while you were so deeply in love that it made you disregard their 25-30-year-old love and struggle? You must be mad at one of those old friends of yours, and you must be wondering why they stopped talking to you, ever thought about how you made them feel with your harsh words and actions while they were just trying their best to stop you from making stupid mistakes? How many times do you need to break someone’s heart for your selfish desires? For your lust and greed? How many mistakes do you need to make before you realize that life is too short to appreciate the ones who always stood by you?
Lives could have been saved if some leaders spent time learning from the History and experiences of others who went through the same situations. Wars could have been avoided. We live in an era in which laws are made and, after a significant side effect, they are taken back… but isn’t it too late? The damage is already done. We live in a World where fighters outnumber the healers, what's the use of all the knowledge and power when in the end it all comes down to artillery and muscles? There was an idea, in fact, many ideas, to unite people, to make them learn the purpose of life, of love, and humanity. Of course, the guidelines, methods, and preaching were different, but the central idea was peace and harmony. This idea was called Religion, it has many names, but it was never meant to divide and conquer. Over the years, what did the Humans do? We beautifully weaponized these ideologies to fulfill our greed and desires, shed blood and started differentiating. How many mistakes do we need to make before we accept that evolution is not just a drop of water turning into an ape, it is about our emotional and mental development too?
We get to see thousands of commercials, reels, etc. about fitness and diet. We have qualified individuals who spend decades learning and perfecting their skills so that they become eligible to give you some good advice. They go by the name of Doctors, Nurses, Dietitians, etc. We are constantly counseled about good hygiene and good behavior, but how many times have we taken it seriously? How many times do we need to be reminded that the best food is the one that’s homemade or Mum-made? How many times do we need to be reminded to follow a proper handwashing regime? To practice safe sex? To take care of safety measures while driving? Helmets, seat belts? To get proper sleep? We just keep making the same mistakes, we keep dancing to a song called “Mistake”, which is being played in a loop. Just quit making these errors at least, it's healthy! You do remember that Health is Wealth, right?
We have multiple organizations, and we have made remarkable progress when it comes to technology and security. We have CCTVs and hidden cameras at places that you cannot imagine. Probably one of those eyeballs is recording me while I write this useless piece of an article. What is the definition of Security and Privacy? I guess you have all known this since childhood. We all are promised that this will help humanity, how exactly? Is it by securing the dirty secrets of the people high above?
Or is it by giving marvelous speeches at the World-peace Conferences on eradication of Bio-warfare, crime, rapes, prostitution, child abuse, environment conservation, Drug trafficking etc.? What’s the reality? Every person knows that these things still exist, isn’t it logical that with such advancements, things like human trafficking and drug peddling should have been curbed already? We know, but we cannot do anything about it, being helpless is a mistake. Why do we put ourselves in such difficult spots by making wrong decisions repeatedly, by putting our trust in someone wrong? How many times before we realize it?
A person who reads and learns from the experiences of others might not go down the same ugly road and drag others with them. To be more efficient, we must indulge ourselves in analyzing things, reading books, and also people. It is important to know the truth and the history. It is crucial to get caught up with the task first to be prepared for the challenges and difficulties of life. Leap of faith, trial and error is good, but we need to realize the consequences, and we need to have a contingency plan ready in case things hit the fan. Life is a constant learning process, we learn till we die but owning up to our mistakes and not repeating the same mistakes is our responsibility.
Like emotions, drugs, and stupidity, mistakes can be addictive, too, don’t go down that rabbit hole. Well, at least make a new mistake and learn from the previous one. Be an example for the coming generations, you don’t need to inspire 1000 folks, you just need to touch one life and let the faith decide the rest
