A Quota of Mistakes

In explaining an obvious error, an observant person replied: “If I make one mistake again, then I should be seriously concerned.” This would seem to be good counsel, except as it may too much the lenient side⎯except as it might be interpreted to mean that every one is entitled to make one of each kind of mistake⎯and this simply and emphatically isn’t so, because the price, in part, of any serious mistake, or at least any mistake involving departure from principle or defection from moral conduct, is discomfort of conscience. And besides, some mistakes are fatal⎯physically and literally fatal, and so we can’t concede one of each kind to each person. Shakespeare wrote of the cowardice of conscience: “Conscience does make cowards of us all.”¹ Rufus Choate said something about the “…courage of conscience.”² The courage of conscience is to live so as to have a quiet conscience. And when anyone makes the mistake of ignoring conscience, he coarsens his conscience. Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations wrote something on this subject many centuries ago: “…there remains that which is peculiar to the good man,” he said, “…not to defile the divinity which is planted in his breast, nor disturb it by a crowd of images, but to preserve it tranquil…neither saying anything contrary to the truth, nor doing anything contrary to justice…nor does he deviate from the way…to which a man ought to come pure, tranquil, ready to depart…”³ We should not be too harsh on ourselves in sincere mistakes, yet not too lenient in allowing ourselves a quota of errors. Making some mistakes we should avoid altogether. The false philosophy of trying anything once, or that once more won’t matter, is tragic in its effects. The greatest peace in life, and one of the greatest of accomplishments, is to live with honesty, honor, virtue, so as to have a clean and comfortable conscience⎯to avoid all mistakes possible, preferably the first time⎯and certainly the second.