What is a mistake?

Question

The word mistake has been over used and abused. It no longer carries any weight for me. To take the wrong keys, or select the wrong attire for a function. To me, that qualifies as mistakes. But, for some one to apologize using the word mistake - - it does not hold water for me. " I made a mistake in marring that person." I committed a mistake, I did not mean to kill that person." "I committed a mistake in slaughtering pit bulls for entertainment." Really, it was a mistake? In the process of making such mistakes...did you even had an inkling that it was wrong, a third grader would know better. Or are you using the word mistake as an excuse for what you did and hide behind it? Could you just admit - that you are pissed it did not work out or that you got caught. I would have a lot more respect for you then to boo - hoo after she left you, or got caught "it was a mistake."Perhaps, I am jaded, but I have a hard time believing in some one that says "I made a mistake." How about you?

Answer 1

Ouch man, that one hurt.
But you do have a point. I guess I'll have to agree with you for the most part. But what really hurts is that I could have done better. But there's no point in thinking about going back in time to undo the things I did. It's pointless. I can't change anything. But I am left with the misery and the woe that is the consequence of what I did. Perhaps, it is wrong to call it a mistake. But mistake or no mistake, it hurts and I don't want to do it again.

Haven't you ever felt that way?

Answer 2

I'm not entirely sure what the true intended purpose of the word is, basically people can use it as they please, but I believe it means that under a given situation if you had better information you wouldn't have blundered.

Well, I guess it is a generic word to be abused, meaning exactly what it does. "I'm sorry, I made a mistake, I meant to buy regular pepsi not diet." I suppose it could be an admission of guilt. Such as, I made a mistake, I made a wrong, I did not do something correctly. I do understand what you mean though, saying 'I made a mistake,' does sound almost third person. Such as you being a helpless victim to the mistake that was made.

I think all words are losing what power they had though, with the most notable one being love. Everyone says love left and right and boasts of true love and the such, but I doubt half the preachers of it know what they are truly talking about. I myself have no idea what it means, but it really bugs me when I have a friend or someone I know, start to date and say they're in love after a day or two.

Answer 3

In the examples given, I have to agree "mistake" is not warranted or even reasonable. So in a sense, the mistakes you have described using the word mistake is pointless. Consider a different example, like learning from mistakes, take a simple process, turning the wrong direction at a traffic light because you did not know the correct way. This is a mistake but you have then learned that next time its correct to turn the other direction. So learning from mistakes is a vital part of humanity. To use the word mistake as an excuse for an action and to think that is all that is need is, to be humorous, a mistake. I learned almost everything I know from making mistakes, so i feel without them I might be lost, as I usually choose to learn things the so called "hard way". Doing something the wrong way is a great lesson for how to really appreciate doing it the right way, at least for me.

Answer 4

Your are objecting to the integration of a temporal aspect.

Removing time you have a decision based on some set of criteria. You chose based on this. Later you add to this, i.e., your husband is a jerk and looking back you say you made a mistake.

But you are right, no mistake was made because they admitted evidence that came after the decision.

If there is such a thing this would be a temporal fallacy. It makes sense only if you have a time machine.

Answer 5

There is no such things as mistakes. People risk and gamble hoping to gain, knowing the full extent of their options and choices.

This is one reason why I have lost faith in humanity. I've grown up only to realize that adults are just kids with more options and opportunities to do wrong.

A mistake is made when one doesn't have all the info available to make good decisions.

Answer 6

A mistake is an expression for an after thought or an after action.

When a thought is "thought of' or when an action is done , it is never a deliberate mistake . The end result of the thought or action is judged by many factors and then , classified as mistake . if it didnot fulfil its original objective. No one says : "Now I am going to do a mistake". Mistakes happen and , generally , are not planned .

Even killing a person ( as you say) in a rage , is normally not intentional and mind is blinded and that is called a mistake.

Answer 7

The word "mistake" could vary in many ways depending how one uses the word mistake. Here are few examples:
1. In school examination a mistake may mean wrong answer, guessing because one is not sure.
2. In kidnapping case a mistake to pick up somebody may mean wrong information, knowledge is weak
3. In choosing a partner in life a mistake may mean insincerity on either side on the part of a man or woman
4. In decision making it may mean bluffing, wrong source, information, weakness of character, etc.

Answer 8

Mostly the word 'mistake' has been used when things didn't work out in the way of expectation.

But in many situations, people will not actually feel for it, but use this word, to express their apologies or to not to do the same again. If one really meant the word, then we need to believe them.

Answer 9

Nuclear weapons are THE mistake of humanity
Can humanity correct THE mistake

Answer 10

Mistake is the ill feeling raises after we act with utter selfishness.
Mistake is a thought considering the past actions and present conditions.
Atlast it is just a thought.