Culture of error (a discussion)

Most of us in the Western world are taught from the time we start school that there is “Right” and there is “Wrong”, and that to be right is to be successful and to be wrong a failure. This results in many of us trying to disguise or hide our human imperfections, making open and transparent communication with others practically impossible and wreaking general havoc in everyday life.

‘A culture of error’ is an educational theory where teachers are encouraged to create an atmosphere where students feel safe both making and discussing mistakes. Through seeing human error as a positive thing, students come to feel safe taking risks and sharing their challenges with others, working together to find solutions instead of wasting time covering up their humanness.

In this discussion we will try to get to the bottom of why so many people still find human error such a shameful thing to admit, and how it might be possible to adopt a new perspective similar to 'the culture of error' where mistakes are a normal and accepted part of everyday life.