How everyday experiences help us learn, recognize our mistakes

Professionalism on Point

By Dan Davies

Dan Davies is the education manager at the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. He manages the commission’s educational programming aimed at promoting a more professional, civil and inclusive legal profession.

Posted November 16, 2020 11:23 AM

It’s fair to say I’ve made mistakes in my life. From sartorial to professional, I’ve taken risks and a good proportion of them have fallen flat. I do have, however, a fantastic collection of stories for dinner parties.We’ve all heard the adage, “If you don’t learn from your mistakes, you are bound to repeat them.” Yet, it seems that our brains are hardwired to learn from our mistakes while ignoring our advice. Research published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience suggests that we have an “early warning system” that …

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