Do you think it is really true that never trying something is worse than making a huge life altering mistake because you did try?

Should I try shooting myself in the face? Might be fun.

Until you try you will never know.

@Ivan I’ll come back and let you know after I do it.

I think, in general, it is always a good idea to give things a try.

No matter which path you take there will always be risks. I’d rather try and fail, knowing that I did what I felt was right, than look back wondering what if.

I’m always in favor of progress. Not trying = no progress. Trying = possible progress.

And even if something fails, there’s something learned.

That is a Yin-Yang question.

Weather you never try or do. “life altering” will occur.

You are always going to do something. And you can’t do everything.

Calculated risk. I’m a loner by nature, but reaching out to help a certain person was the best decision I ever made. Life-changing can be positive also.

Don’t know: I would think you’d want to weigh the benefits of succeeding at what you are attempting versus the costs of not trying it. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” is true but one needs to determine the cost/benefit of each outcome as well.

@ChazMaz thank you for saying “Yin yang” as opposed to “ying-yang. That drives me crazy.
@JLeslie I think that the outcome is never a certain thing. In the case you describe, it is certainly possible that trying were the mistake. however, a year later other events may have arisen due to that act or attempt. one cannot always look at things in such a singular context.

I don’t view anything as a ‘mistake.’ Only a lesson.

Most of us wouldn’t even be here if our parents had ‘planned’ us. lol

Life IS a fly by the seat of your pants thing…hesitation kills!

If you mean by never trying something that I never attempt a specific endeavor, such as mixed martial arts fighting, then never trying that would be more beneficial to me than trying it.

If you mean never risking something that could lead to something good for me, then e.g., never asking my wife out would be worse than if we eventually got divorced otherwise.

If we compare worst case scenarios, then I think that they’re actually equal.
If we compare the more probable outcomes, then I would say never trying something is usually worse.

It depends on what the situation is.

I was thinking about a risk that might change your life. Could be a big pay off, or could lead to a big struggle. Like maybe risking most of your savings for a business venture. If the business works you might be happier in your worklife, make a lot of money. If it doesn’t you could lose most of your hard earned money and need to start from scratch,. If you do nothing, just stay with your not so thrilling corporate job, but not something you hate, you have plenty of money to retire, even retire early comfortably. Do you take the risk?

@coloma maybe mistake is the wrong word. By the way 90% of the people I know were planned births, especially in my family. Even my grandmother waited 5 years to have her first child.

As many have alluded to before me, if you learn from your mistakes, by all means TRY.
If you don’t, stay put and life itself will force you to change.
One of my favorite quotes:
“life leads those of who let it, those who don’t, it drags”!

I recently took a potentially life altering risk, and it was a mistake. But I’m glad I did it. I never would have learned what I learned otherwise.

Am I anxious to take another such risk? Well, there are several that I am not taking. Which risks I choose to take and which ones I choose to forego—I guess it depends on my level of desperation. The more desperation I feel, the more likely it is that I will take a life altering risk.

I’ve never tried crack and I feel my life has not been the lesser for it.

They say the things you regret most in life are the things you Didn’t do.

I’m a big believer in ‘You’ll never know unless you try it’ !!

Why sit back and wait for life to happen and always wonder about the chances you didn’t take. Life’s too short to ponder for too long if the opportunity’s there, then seize it.

So what if you’ve made a life changing mistake we all have the capacity (or most people have) to get back up again…all it takes is self determination.

As long as nobody gets hurt in the process.!!

No. Wisdom guides us at to what to “try.” Not every opportunity presenting itself to us is one we should take.

in some cases

@thriftymaid…I would agree to an extent. But wisdom is our interpretation and knowledge of what we are about to risk.

Taking risks is also dependent on our emotions and motivation which are never static. Therefore you may take a risk with the wisdom that guides us but also guided by our emotions and motivation.

So people may still seize an opportunity dependent on their ‘mood’ and the concluding result is that they gain ‘wisdom’ from taking the risk.

I would definately prefer to royaly mess up over not even give it a go. surely you forever wondering what if would make moving on to other things harder. Think Dr. Pepper: whats the worst that could happen?
the POSSIBBILITY you MIGHT lose money/ very much injure yourself/ leave ureself mentally scarred: all terrible reasons not to do something that could change your life!

You really can do anything if you really want to. If you haven’t jumped off a building to prove this point, you don’t know what you’re missing.

@definitive Your definition of wisdom is a little skewed. It’s defined as “knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.”
True that we take risks sometimes based on emotion; to do so is to set your wisdom aside. That is how smart people do stupid things, and how good people do bad things.