[February 12, 2023] We all make mistakes, and while that may seem obvious, it is not so obvious what those mistakes may turn out to be and why they are mistakes. A few days ago, I wrote that men often don’t realize they are making mistakes until it’s too late. Within the theme of raising awareness, here are a few mistakes men make.
Men make mistakes that negatively affect them and those around them. Men often don’t realize they are making these mistakes until it’s too late. So, to help raise awareness, here are a few mistakes men make.
“Mistakes have the power to turn you into something better than you were before.” – Anonymous
To summarize five mistakes men make, from Part I (link here).
- Being harmless
- Being happy
- Making excuses
- Not making the proper sacrifice
- Rejecting the bitter truth
Here are five more mistakes that men make:
- Rejecting those who irritate you. Talking with people who like what you say is like being alone in the desert. You already know what others think, and you are friends with them because they never say anything that challenges you. That is so because you are afraid that if you deviate just a little from what you understand that you won’t be able to tolerate what happens. It is helpful to listen to people you disagree with because they can help you. Don’t reject those who irritate you because they will make you better.
- Proving you are right. It’s more important to recognize that you are wrong than to prove you are right. Tragic relationships are challenging, but in these, you might learn to be sharper, more careful, or avoid liars in your next relationship. Every time you learn something, it’s because something you did didn’t work, exposing you to things you don’t understand.
- Avoiding responsibility. The solution to overcoming the tragedies and malevolence of life is to take on more responsibility and bear the consequences of that decision. Even if men suffer dreadfully when adopting responsibility, that is their lot. That is the way of the real world. And men have to figure this out. A man has to decide that he is going to do something, but there are some criteria, like it has to be good so that it allows a movement forward, as well as good for the family and community. Voluntarily choose what load you will carry and bear that burden. Grow up. Do something useful. That is what men should never reject. People say that men should be responsible because that is what a good citizen does. Wrong. Men should be responsible because that is what it takes for them to have deep meaning in their lives. There’s real nobility in that.
- Purpose. Life is hard, and it is even more challenging than you might think it is. Men are going to be tested. That’s a fact. You can bear any trial and tribulation if you have a sustaining meaning. You need a reason to wake up on a difficult day in the morning. What’s that reason going to be? You can admire those who have difficult days and yet still do their job and do that job well. Pick up a burden and walk up the hill. That is the alternative to hell. Voluntarily accept the precondition of evil and learn to transcend it with your purpose.
- Accepting wasted time. Don’t remain stagnant. You get old fast. Time ticks away. Get at it. Have your adventures. Do something; fail or succeed. At least try. Like Teddy Roosevelt said, “Be the man in the arena.” Aim at something noble and move toward it with all your might and focus. Men, get at it, get out there in the world and have your adventure.
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I think this is a really important reminder for all men. It is so easy to let our mistakes get the best of us, but if we try to learn from them and work on making positive changes, we can all become better versions of ourselves. Thank you for this insightful post!
Gen. Satterfield, I just will say that I do appreciate your series on mistakes men make. Please write one for women too. Altho, I have to admit that us women make these exact same mistakes as men, maybe not as much but we do. ❤
Great series, Gen. Satterfield. Gives me a better ideas of what not to do. And that is very very important to those like me who want to be really successful.
Great 2-part series. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
USA Patriot here.
And of course that is why we all are reading this wonderful, informative, and much-needed leadership blog that is better than others I’ve read. Yes, and this series was eye opening for me.
Just a quick note as I head out to work. Thanks to Gen. Satterfield for giving me (and my adult son) a chance to read those things that make us better as family members. I do appreciate the fact that Gen. Satterfield is so very family oriented and knows what people need and want. Keep up the great works here.
Hey folks, up north as your neighbor, let’s also begin to support us that are trying to stop the movement of Canada toward totalitarianism. Think not? Then pay closer attention. Vive le Canada.
Wow, thanks Ron.
You get old fast. Now, as an old guy myself, I give this my stamp of approval. Ha Ha Ha.
I’m an old fart but I can still kick some butt.
old warrior, I laugh when I read your comments. But I wonder if you’ve ever written something here in this leadership blog that didn’t have the words “kick butt” somewhere in it. Thanks for helping make my day. Now, along with my trusty German Shepherd dog CRAZY, we are ready to take on the world.
Great to see you back on Gen. Satterfield’s blog. And looking forward to your next article as well. Thanks Army Vet for what you are doing for our nation.
“You can bear any trial and tribulation if you have a sustaining meaning. ” – Gen. Doug Satterfield.
Yep, best quote of the article. Funny how there are little gems of wisdom scattered about in this leadership blog. — A blog about Leadership and the Pursuit of Truth.
Yep, best quote of the day from Gen. S. 👍
Don’t ya just ❤ it when Gen. Satterfield nails a great article?! I do. That’s why I’m one of his biggest fans.
Excellent follow up from Part I on ‘mistakes men make.’ And I know that the implication is NOT that women don’t make mistakes, just that these are overwhelmingly made by men. And we should be aware of these to avoid them if possible.
Yep, and if you want to see more along this line of thinking then read Gen. Satterfield’s latest book “55 Rules for a Good Life.” In it you will see that the main mistake men make are lying (and so do women, and maybe more so) but lying for men has more negative consequences than for women.
Got mine, now get yours. That is how you can support this website and make sure we all are reading worthwhile articles without having to pay or see a bunch of advert. Gen. Satterfield makes this site totally free.
Right Shawn, and we men are upfront and visible in what we do. That is why, like Harry pointed out, we suffer the most from lies.
Good comments guys !!!!!!