If you think only stupid people make mistakes, you're as wrong as me. The truth is that everyone makes mistakes. Smart people admit it. Stupid people don't. In addition, the most intelligent and successful people in history have made the most mistakes. Are these two things connected? I think. This quote from Albert Einstein says it all: "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."

I used to blame myself for making mistakes in life. I think that's how our society is. When you were a child, you are punished for making mistakes in school and in life. And because of that, we believe it is normal to punish each other as adults. But why do you punish yourself or another person for making silly mistakes? Most things in life are reversible and small (I'm not talking about committing crimes or adultery here). What matters is that we learn from our mistakes.

One of the best traits one can have in life is to forgive. You must be easy with yourself when you ruin it. The same is true for people in our lives. Alexander Pope said it best:
"To err is human, to forgive, divine." And when people really cross the line, they just keep going. There is no need to complicate things.

In life, there are lines that one should not cross. If you stay at a high moral level, you are doing the right thing. What if you make mistakes? And that? Nobody is perfect. Here are 5 of those mistakes that I think intelligent people make. Remember that you don't have to make these mistakes yourself. It is better to learn from the mistakes of others. They have been made, so we don't have to.

1. Chasing money

I recently read How To Get Rich by Felix Dennis, who owned one of the largest magazine publishers in the United Kingdom. Contrary to the title, the book actually tries to discourage you from chasing money.
Many rich people will tell you the same. The funny thing is that we all know that there is more to life than money. And yet, we do our only purpose.

"People who get caught up in the vision of the money-making tunnel think that is all there is in life."

Of course there is nothing wrong with wanting to get rich. We just have to remind ourselves that making money beyond a certain amount has little impact on our happiness. But somehow, we have tunnel vision. Again, trying to get rich is not a mistake. However, it is a mistake if you expect it to be the answer to all your problems.

2. Ignore the dream

When you get excited about something, you want to spend all your time on it. It is a great feeling. But when your emotion prevents you from having a quality dream, you want to change that. It is one of my biggest pitfalls. I can read and work all day, well into the night. But even when I go to bed at 2 a.m. and I wake up 8 hours later, I still feel tired. Somehow, it is different when I go to sleep at 11 and I wake up at 7. I feel much more energized.

Over the past year, I have taken the dream more seriously. I wake up at the same time every morning. I already use my devices exactly one hour before I want to sleep. That means there is no work or heavy mental activity before bedtime. Just a little light reading or daily.

3. Being connected too much

The last decade has been great for technology. Almost everyone has a smartphone with Internet access. In a few years, the whole world will be connected. Even the least developed countries. Modern technology has changed the world. These developments are great. But remember that too much of a good thing becomes bad. That also applies to your smartphone, tablet and laptop. Recent research shows that Generation Z (born after 1995) is distressed and anxious. The American Psychological Association even says they have "the worst mental health of any generation." One of the biggest reasons for your mental state? All signals point to your smartphones and connection. For years, I have been limiting the use of my smartphone.

4. Not exercising enough
Life is full of obligations. Our biggest obligation is to work. Then, we have family and friends with whom we spend our time. We have bills to pay. Also, unforeseen things happen all the time. A crisis at work. A family member who gets sick. It is all part of life. And when these things happen, it's easy to move the exercise down your priority list.

But after a while, you feel tired and weak. I run out of breath after climbing some flights of stairs. You complain when you can't find a parking spot in front of the store. You do not want to walk. Your back hurts for the entire session. Your gut grows. And you can't look in the mirror. Don't let it go that far. Sweat at least three times a week. And go for a walk on the other days. You will stay strong and fit. In addition, you will feel better.

5. Be too confident
A cognitive bias that most affects smart people is overconfidence. When you're good at something, it's easy to overestimate yourself. That does not happen in an arrogant or brazen way. Overconfidence can happen to everyone. From many soft and soft-spoken individuals to the most extroverted extroverts.
Researchers have established three ways in which overconfidence occurs:
Overestimation - thinking you're better than you.
Exaggerated belief that you are better than others.
On precision, excessive conviction that you know the truth.

Let's be honest. How often do we think we can take on a challenge and then discover that it was too much? Or that we can do a better job than our coworkers or competitors? And when we have conversations, how often do we think we know better?
It is the classic stumbling block of intelligent people. But as you and I know, the wisest people in history declared that they knew nothing. So why do we keep trusting too much?

I think one of the reasons is that you stop questioning yourself after achieving a small success. It is very attractive to think that you are better. Maybe that is the case. But it does not matter. The moment you start to think that you are better, you are already losing. When you stop questioning yourself, you stop learning. And only losers do not learn. Instead, trust the things that took you where you are: curiosity, passion, emotion and most importantly; hard work.

Greetings.

Patricio Varsariah.