If you're learning, you're making a mistake

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Apr 05, 2025

Unlock the Insights That Changed My Life

October 29, 2024

Each week, I share a glimpse of my ideas and perspectives on life in short 5-minute emails. But there’s so much more depth to explore.

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There’s a quote I keep coming back to:

“If you’re learning, you’ll be wrong most of the time.” — Naval Ravikant

At first glance, this might seem discouraging. No one likes being wrong. But if you’re on a path of personal growth, this isn’t just a possibility—it’s a guarantee. And it’s also a sign you’re doing something right.

Let’s break this down into two parts: Looking back at past mistakes and anticipating future ones.

The Past: A Trail of Wrong Turns

If you’ve been learning for a while, that’s going to mean that your past is filled with mistakes—beliefs you once held, choices you regret, things you thought were true but later realized weren’t.

This can be uncomfortable. It’s tempting to rewrite the past, to tell ourselves we’ve always been “on the right track.” But the reality is, growth means proving our past selves wrong over and over again.

Think about it—if you haven’t changed your mind on anything significant in the last five years, have you really grown?

The Future: Mistakes You Haven’t Made Yet

Just as your past is filled with errors, your future will be too. That’s not a flaw in the system—it is the system.

Every lesson comes at the cost of a mistake. The only way to avoid being wrong is to stop learning altogether, to stay in a place where you’re comfortable but stagnant.

What if, instead of fearing mistakes, you started seeing them as milestones? Each one means you’re closer to understanding something new.

The Hardest Part: Letting Go of Old Beliefs

The real challenge isn’t just making mistakes—it’s admitting to them. It’s realizing that the opinion you defended last year might not hold up today. It’s being willing to say, “I was wrong,” without letting it shake your sense of self. It’s having the courage to shift your point of view when presented with new information.

Some people cling to outdated beliefs because their identity is tied to being “right.” But real confidence comes from knowing you can be wrong and still move forward.