About this episode

We’re often told it’s pointless to beat ourselves up for making mistakes, but Martha takes it a step further and says that error isn’t just useful, it’s crucial to getting things right. Making mistakes leads to learning and can also lead to discovery and reinvention. She points out that accidents and missteps led to the discovery of penicillin, photography, even potato chips! The discussion wraps with an exercise to retrain our brains to notice the good in every gaffe. (Originally aired: July 18, 2021)