One of the hardest things to do in life is to admit you’ve made a mistake. Admitting mistakes strikes directly at our notions of identity and self-worth; it’s why people double down when faced with irrefutable evidence that they’re wrong, and it’s why telling people they’re wrong will render futile most efforts to change their minds about something. It’s one of the reasons Donald Trump received so many votes in 2020 even after his dismal performance in office: Millions of people didn’t want to admit they’d made a mistake. So when someone does acknowledge that they’ve made a grievous error, it ought to be something that’s commended, if not necessarily celebrated. Such a person should be held in regard because they’ve demonstrated what seems to be an increasingly rare attribute: the ability to grow and learn from a prior mistake, whether that error was due to misunderstanding or outright ignorance. Read more