You can learn from mistakes; they are a feedback mechanism. The extent to which you learn depends on your own expectations. Brain cells communicate with each other via electrical signals. Brain researchers can measure these signals in the brain using EEG. EEG studies show that as soon as you make a mistake, a characteristic pattern of negatively charged electrical brain activity becomes visible on the EEG, which is strongest at the top of the head. Neuroscientists call this phenomenon 'error-related negativity' or ERN. When detecting an error, the cingulate cortex sends a warning signal to other parts of the brain via a bundle of nerve fibers known as the cingulum. This happens at an enormous speed (within 100 milliseconds) after an error has been made. However, it takes at least another 200 milliseconds before you yourself realize that you have made an error. A positively charged electrical brain activity then follows, making you aware of the error detected by the cingulate cortex. Scientists also refer to this signal as 'error positivity'. So, your brain knows before you do when you have made an error. The subsequent 'error positivity' often does not match your own hopes or expectations. This violation of your own expectations is called a 'prediction error' in science. This causes that intense feeling of disappointment when you have not performed as well as you had hoped. The stronger the violation of your own expectations, the stronger the activity measured in the brain by scientists. This releases neurotransmitters like dopamine, which motivate you to adjust your behavior in the future or use a different strategy. Precisely a big mistake or intense disappointment then provides the strongest learning signal in the brain. It is therefore important to see mistakes for what they really are; an ingenious and innate feedback mechanism necessary for your development.
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