Fixing big mistakes

The Big Eraser, on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

Today while driving, and then watching the news tonight on T.V. something hit me about all of the political ads.  These people are perfect.  They never make mistakes.  Their opponent makes nothing but mistakes.

No one likes to make mistakes.  But we all do.  Without mistakes, we would not learn how to do things better; to be better.  If we are not making mistakes, we are not trying. 

A personal hero of mine has always been Thomas Edison, the esteemed inventor.   What I love most about him is that he understood his own shortcomings, and worked tirelessly until he solved a problem.  One of my favorite quotes of his is:

If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward.   

I admire Edison for understanding that he had to make mistakes in order to move forward.  While I understand that the politicians have to play to sound bites and that they are trying to paint themselves in the best light, they defeat themselves, in my eyes, by not having the willingness to admit that they have made mistakes along the way and have learned from them.  

Follow up:  I just fixed a typo.  Another mistake fixed.