Hunter and gatherer tribes passed down lessons to their youth about the berries to eat, and the berries that’ll end in death. Techniques on capturing game and stalking prey were also passed down. The ones who excelled became the head of the tribes and for generations, the practices continued. Even today, some hunter-gatherer tribes still have the same traditions as their relatives millennia ago. Today’s society seems to be missing the “Don’t eat that berry!” approach to being a successful adult.
Life Lessons by Trial and Error
A good part of my 20’s, since graduating college at 22, have been a lot of trial and error lessons. A lot more errors than successes. I’m not incriminating my parents for their inability to foretell my problems. Or society for leading me down a path of less success. But I do wish I had learned from my errors at a much younger age.
Unlike hunter-gatherer children, society shelters today’s children from an early age. Instead of trying things on our own at three years old, we’re coddled, cuddled, and protected. Throughout our childhood, into our teens, and through college we live in a protected world. We don’t get to learn first hand what errors feel like until we’re tossed out at the age of 22.
Tell Them “Don’t eat that berry,” and then get out of their damn way
Trial and error is the mechanism in which entrepreneurs learn best. It’s also how I’ve learned a majority of my life lessons. It’s an amazing mechanism for learning, however, trial and error at the age of five is better than at the age of 22. There are a lot fewer stakes on the line when we’re younger and, as we grow older, trial and error becomes more daunting.
Being able to teach children “Don’t eat that berry” from a young age is helpful, but only if it’s accompanied by a create-your-own-rules mindset. Children learn by falling on their faces. So do adults. But it’s important for the younger generation, those about to enter the “real world,” to understand what they’re signing up for and where they can find happiness.