Mistakes are an inevitable part of learning and progress. While mistakes can feel embarrassing, it is important to learn from them rather than dwell on failure. Admitting mistakes shows strength of character. Many scientific and technological advances were discovered by accident through experiments that involved mistakes. Learning from mistakes helps us gain wisdom and avoid repeating errors, allowing us to succeed in the future.

1. Learning From Mistakes
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traian_Vuia_aircraft.jpg

2. Show this youtube clip at this point:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5l_oZQyluw
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traian_Vuia_aircraft.jpg

6. Source: http://www.crooked-stick.co.uk/great_decision_making.html [Original source unknown]

7. D’oh!
Image: Some rights reserved by List [trade break - catching up]

8. Image: Some rights reserved by Alex E. Proimos

9. To Err is Human,
To Forgive Divine.
Image: Some rights reserved by Lawrie Cate

11. Anyone who has
never made
a mistake has
never tried
anything new.
Albert Einstein
(1879-1955)
Source and License: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Einstein_tongue.jpg

12. Found on: http://alittlesomethingsarah.blogspot.com/ [& many similar sites, unreferenced, presumed Public Domain]

13. Found on http://www.webtricksblog.com/blogging-mistake-newbies-blogger.html [& many similar sites, unreferenced, presumed Public Domain]

14. Source: ThumbPress

15. Admit your errors before someone
else exaggerates them.
Andrew V. Mason
Image: Some rights reserved by anderbill

16. Everyone makes mistakes, but
admit your own before you point
out someone else’s.
Image: Some rights reserved by !anaughty!

17. Accept you will make mistakes - we all
make mistakes
Have the self-confidence to admit to
them, take responsibility for them, act
on them
Learn from them and be courageous
about making changes – try to avoid
repeating mistakes

18. Mistakes are the usual bridge
between inexperience and
wisdom.
Phyllis Theroux, Night Lights
Image: Some rights reserved by 96dpi

19. Mistakes are
the portals of
discovery
James Joyce
(1882-1941)
Source:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ja
mes_Joyce_by_Alex_Ehrenzweig,_1915.jpg

20. Superglue was invented by mistake. Dr Harry Coover wanted
to isolate a clear plastic. When he accidentally allowed it to
be exposed to moisture, it bonded strongly together.
Fact: http://www.antibodycommunications.com/corporate/Top10Mistakes.pdf
Image: Some rights reserved by CarbonNYC

21. Teflon was invented by mistake. Roy Plunkett used an
iron container by mistake which caused a chemical
reaction and so Teflon was invented in 1938.
Fact: http://www.antibodycommunications.com/corporate/Top10Mistakes.pdf
Image: Some rights reserved by JPC24

22. Mistakes are Stepping Stones to
Success
Image: Some rights reserved by Looking Glass

23. Context: I used a modified version of this for an assembly presentation at Bangkok Patana
School.
The message is simple, and well known, yet is still an important one to raise with students. It
should be quite easy for someone else to recycle this and explain the gist of the slides. The
early slides (and video) are deliberately designed to make people laugh – mistakes are often
funny after all – but the presentation takes a more serious turn on slide 8 when the audience
are reminded that often your own mistakes do not feel very funny at all. The remainder of
the presentation provides timeworn suggestions of how best to manage your mistakes and
make the most of them, recognising that mistakes are vital to human progress.
For best effect, start by showing the youtube clip (link also given on the second slide). For
added effect, play music at the same time – ‘I used some of Those Magnificent Men in their
Flying Machines - Original theme song (this youtube clip includes it). The simple ‘FAIL’ slide
refers to a common word that has taken on a new life of its own in recent years in internet
pop culture circles. Fail! Is a quick put-down for something someone has done wrong.
T
The presentation is comprised of other people’s work and ideas which I have credited where
possible.
Special permission has been sought and granted for using the following: Slides 4 and 5 – the
failblog.org images, Slide 14 – the thumbpress.com image.
The other images are either known to be licensed under some form of Creative Commons
license, and are credited on the relevant slide, or are presumed to be public domain (with
original sources not traced). Please do contact James Penstone if this is a wrong assumption
for any of the images, and this slideshow will be corrected where it is hosted at slideshare.