You Live and You learn
Is it worth finding out the “hard way”
The good ole’ saying of “you live and you learn”, or “you’ll just have to learn the hard way”, are common phrases. On many occasions in the past and currently, i am quite friendly with these sayings. By making mistakes a person is able to correct it and realize not to repeat the same mistakes. Recently, I have been debating if going through this “experience”, is even worth making the mistake in the first place.
“If you have no regrets from the life you have lived, your biggest regret should be the life you haven’t lived”-Robert Sauber
With this perspective in mind, it makes life seem short. In the same token, what we as a society deems as what is successful and extravagant can be extremely competitive to obtain. So, why not make the most of your life and enjoy the crazy, wild, and stupid decisions you choose? Travel around the world, back-pack across Europe, try delicious foods, and experience other cultures. Sure as hell sounds better than working your ass off and pulling those all-nighters that most of us are all too familiar with. Even so, think and look back on all the most thrilling but stupid choices you have ever made. Whatever comes to mind, you realize that yes, you lived and you learned; in that very moment though you lived!
The Lesson’s Learned That Will Carry Throughout Your Life
About any situation or scenario can always provide wisdom at the outcome of it all. Whether that might relationships, tolerance to certain things, or even deciding what is an important to you can be learned through the hard way. Everyone learns something new every year. This year, in fact, has been one of the most “educational” learning moments. For instance, I have learned don’t make commitments if you are not sure you’re going to be able to keep them. I don’t enjoy saying, “no”. Instead I always leaned towards the “yes” side of things. When the time came around and I didn’t carryout through commitment I made, people were pissed. And rightfully they should be, luckily I broke out of the habit of saying, “yes” and now say, “maybe, i’ll let you know”. Such a simple solution, yet it took me a long time to realize. My point with this experience of mine did teach me a valuable lesson despite the consequence of almost losing friends.
Should we live and learn the hard way though?
This is a heavy subject to consider. One could argue despite making mistakes, you still gain something valuable from it. Another valid point to keep in mind is, some might believe the choices you make can shape you as a person. How can a person truly recognize their mistake if they were never to make one? As a child you are taught what is right and wrong. Manners were pressed and respect is given to authority figures. These few principles do benefit an individual’s life, but at the same time manners and respect can only do so much. By that being said, maybe we do have to learn the hard way. Although, sometimes you ask yourself was it worth seeing what would result in the action that was made. All the time, people make choices and realize it is too late to fix it or go back. This can be applied to numerous situations, one for instance is choosing to drive drunk. Some choices made are not worth “learning the hard way”. In fact, sometimes we should learn from other people’s mistakes. Either side of debating if it’s a good or bad thing to learn the hard way goes hand and hand with each other.
