We teach kids mistakes are a good thing because you get to learn from them . . . until you eventually say SCREW IT and just stop trying.
A new study found we do learn from our mistakes, but only to a point. It specifically looked at mistakes made by surgeons because they have such a high-pressure job.
It found that when surgeons make mistakes early in their career, they tend to learn from them and get better. So then they’re less likely to make the mistake again.
But over time, messing up a surgery or losing a patient takes its toll emotionally. Then they start to distance themselves from their mistakes. Or instead of blaming themselves, they start blaming external factors they can’t control.
Once that happens, they tend to stop trying to learn from their missteps. And it can end up making them worse surgeons overall.
The researchers think losing confidence has a lot to do with it. But it also might show there’s a limit to how much we can learn from our mistakes in general. Sometimes it’s better to stop, regroup, and try something different.
