Is it possible to make a mistake? How do you know when you are wrong?

Question

Well thanks for all the answers. For the really long one that was worth reading, what was my "nice try"? I really want to know.

To the prolific and assumptive Mr. bacheren: First, as most who have seen me post here would tell, you have taken my question to imply something that it does not. You have made a mistake by assuming that you could tell my own idea from the question. I think it is possible to use reason and the law of non-contradiction to determine when a mistake has been made. Just to clear up your error, I happen to agree with you that wishful thinking makes no bread. Philosophy is not religion so your super scientific explanation of things is wasted since I did not require conversion on that point. There are some real problems with trying to equate right action to survival, however, and there in lies another topic. Thank you for taking so much of your time to answer. I find it very interesting.

Answer 1

I do believe it is possible to make a mistake, sometimes even necessary. Usually the outcome lets me know I have been mistaken. I have been mistaken in thought, belief, understanding, feeling, & action, & usually this is how I learn. It seems that in this area there is only 20/20 vision in hindsight. I really don't think there should be any shame with being mistaken, as long as I learn from it . In the end I call my mistakes experience.

Answer 2

Well,sowcratees, you ask a question which you know
(or should have been taught to know) the first part.
(= yes!)
The second part"how do you know when you are wrong"
is not so easy,as i'm sure you have tried(to imagine as well).
The answer is that you and we never know-for-certain;
not only that,but its highly likely that you and we never did know(for certain)and that you and we will never know-for-certain-in-the-future.
i may have made some little spelling mistakes,but i'm sure
that you and other genuine readers will allow these here.

p.s.
(And, Sow, how do You know when you are wrong?
i'd like to try to answer this,based on your previous "answer
history". For it looks like you agree that the educational system is to blame;but not the"religion"of science!
Dont you realize that science,like you and religion,will never
know exactly when-a-real-and-important mistake is made?
We are all free;
And this is one of the reasons that(the theory of) darwinism can be superseded by a better theory.
And a theory of learning from our mistakes,too.)

Answer 3

We are ALL prone to make mistakes. It is not a possibility, but rather a reality of being imperfect. What makes the difference is when we realize a mistake, accept responsibility over it, and make an action to straighten it out (if possible), or be all willing to apologize for it.

We know when we get wrong when we've caused uneasiness to the other side...or we get negative reactions for our actions. We know it so well when our conscience begins bugging us.

Answer 4

We are not perfect human beings and we do make mistakes; if you don't know right from wrong, then ask an elder, parent, teacher, minister, etc. Obtain advice from those who do know. Get involved in a church and learn what the Bible says regarding the teachings of Jesus and how we are suppose to live, including the Ten Commandants!

Answer 5

nice try...

we are, as you might know, gregarious animals, and as such depend on our environment to survive. if it weren't so, we would only have our own mind accountable for judgement.
the funny part about this is that the human mind - as with consciousness - creates an illusion that makes the self believe things that are not existent, for example free will (see Libet's "Mind Time"), for the simple reason of creating a coherent sense of self.

If you would live alone on earth and go by only your own judgement, mistakes would not exist. What we call mistakes would then be identified by your brain as experience, as "research and development" / "R and D", mother nature's (or Darwin's, as you like) way of surviving.

BUT since you are NOT alone on earth, your understanding of "R and D" is different, because the "research" you do (trying out things) mostly has an effect on others. hence you learn to avoid that MISTAKE in the future and "develop" your abilities to survive / stay alive without getting in other people's way - the difference being that there usually is no reason to fear any life-threatening danger.


the problem your question raises is deep. we indeed need not fear imperfection, but that doesn't mean abandoning the concept of making mistakes.

"The road to wisdom?
Well, it's plain and simple to express:
Err and err and err again,
but less and less and less."
(Piet Hein)


ADDED:
There is no fundamental definition of right or wrong, so according to the theory of evolution ("survival of the fittest"), you could define "mistake" as an "action with a negative effect on one's own life or life quality". For gregarious animals, we need to consider that even an "action with a negative effect on other people's lives" in some regards has an effect on ourselves as well.
There are dozens, if not thousands or millions of people out there trying to tell you that life is great, be positive, feel good, everything is possible, blablabla. Well, of course, life is great, BUT the truth is that there is no such thing as constant happiness - THAT is exactly why life is great and not boring. It is even proven by science that patients lacking the ability to have fear (due to lesions in certain brain areas) are completely unsociable and helpless.

People feel really bad when they make mistakes, especially when it gets to big things. They think they should have known better.

"I never should have married you..."

Your question sounds to me as if you would like to abandon the concept of making mistakes in a way similar to what all those feel-good-gurus preach. Not that I would want to call you a guru of that kind, but the question seems to me like that. That's why I said your question raises a deep problem.

Again: One cannot find happiness and peace through believing with confidence: "I don't make mistakes. Who is judging anyway?" Even though positive thinking is miraculously efficient, we still need mistakes just as we need fear to survive and grow - and to be able to appreciate joy and happiness for what they are and to feel good about the things we do right.
To even consider proving the opposite would only be a nice try.

Answer 6

No.
There are no mistakes, and I just happen to not be regretting anything. I should not contemplate what I choices I will make in the future, because I want to live out on the street, or in a psyche ward completely unable to see the plausibly bad outcomes that exist.
Smuck.

Answer 7

Or the more important question....how do you ever know you are right?
On a personal note....I never make mistakes. On one occasion, I thought I made a mistake...but I was mistaken:-)
Sorry I couldn't "really" answer your question....too lazy!

Answer 8

If it were not possible to make a mistake there would be no such thing as a mistake. You are wrong if If facts prove otherwise. Reality is the ultimate judge.

.

Answer 9

All mistakes are answers. Now a mistake is just not the right answer.

Answer 10

I make mistakes all the time, I know this is true because people are always telling me about them.