If you think about it, the main mistakes we’ve made are the result of a lack of moral quality, even if we blame external elements or other people.
Think back to your past regrets and mistakes
If you contemplate your past mistakes, they are most often attributable to a lack of heart quality. For example, you failed an important exam due to a lack of seriousness or preparation. This lack is itself linked to a lack of courage in effort or a lack of diligence, both recognized virtues. Your last relationship ended even though you were attached to that person. This breakup may have its source in a form of negligence on your part, which in turn comes from a form of narcissism, and therefore a lack of humility to love another person as much as oneself. Here too, it is a defect in the qualities of the heart. Of course, we are not perfect and sometimes we have to learn from our mistakes. The problem is that we often draw the wrong lessons from our mistakes. I’m saving you time, your past mistakes are almost all attributable to a lack of virtue, the puzzle is often to recognize which virtue in question you lacked.
Virtue as a basis for progress
If we start from the premise that all errors are attributable to a lack of virtue, then it is advisable, in order to avoid future errors, to work on improving the qualities of one’s heart starting today. There are several ways to do this, however, one proven method is the daily examination of our actions and underlying motivations. To do this correctly, a certain amount of solitude and sincerity in our approach is required. The quest for truth is what must guide us, at the risk of repeating the same mistakes. The daily examination of our intentions is not easy given that our ego clouds our mind. This journey towards the quest for truth is therefore always accompanied by a will to destroy or at least reduce our ego.