You could have been an achiever during your term in an organisation, institution, or even an ideal person in your social circle in most occasions. However, when you commit that one mistake that stands out during the time frame, they will remember it. They will always bring it up the next time something similar is about to happen, or when another mistake, regardless of severity, is made. They will change their opinion of you for that one mistake more than one good deed that you have done.
Putting it in quantitative terms, out of a 100 things that you do for example, within a specific time frame, you make that one significant mistake. You probably will not be recognised for more than half of what you did well, but you will certainly receive comments from everyone around you for that one error. In a professional environment, there's no doubt that there will be lots of criticisms.
Sometimes these criticisms are helpful. Everyone makes wrong judgments or takes wrong actions on matters at some point in their life, and constructive criticisms from people who care about you are often what helps us learn and correct ourselves so that we do not, hopefully, repeat them again in the not-so-distant future at the very least. Naturally no one is expected to be able to correct themselves after the first try but the motive is all the same. These criticisms might not be pleasant to our ears but they are collective aiming towards one goal; to make us a better person than before.
Yet many of the times these criticisms that we receive are not constructive ones. In fact many of the times we will find ourselves swarmed with spiteful comments, showing malevolent ill will. And this cycle of blame and reprimanding will not cease in life, because no one is perfect. We can get infinitely close to achieving perfection however, in my opinion, that's as far as we can possibly get. No matter how hard you try, you will end up being less than ideal in others perspective one way or another, and you will be faulted for that by whoever it is.
Does that mean we get discouraged and give up trying so hard to do well? Because we did the maths and it doesn't make sense since they are unbalanced or unjust to us?
No. I am in support of the notion that we constantly work towards perfection as our goal despite knowing that we might never attain it. It is a healthy mindset to have so that we keep improving ourselves and walk through our life as a long journey of learning for character development. Ultimately, we become a better person for our well-being, and not for impressing the people around us. Rather than being the best in the world, we should all aspire to be the best that we can be, and the potential should have no boundaries.
Certainly, it gets tiring and depressing when you know you have done well in numerous occasions but very rarely did you receive commendations or recognition for your effort, yet every single wrong path you take you get reprimanded tenfold, but stay strong. No one ever said life is easy. Character developments goes a long way and it does take time to develop good habits and mindsets and integrate them into your daily life as a person.
Therefore, have resilience, and rise above the hate and despise that you might receive for making a mistake. I'm sure at the end of everything you will find that the resolve to keep trying to improve and not give up will be rewarding. The fruit of labour could come rather soon with a bit of patience, while some might take much longer, but they will do you good in time to come, and it is never too early to start having such an attitude in life so that you won't have it as tough later on. After all, old habits do die hard.
"Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character" - Hercaclitus
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