We have all heard the expression, “hindsight is 20-20,” but is that really the case? Well, it certainly can be, but only if we are paying attention to where we have been and what we have learned.
Experience has the potential to be our very best teacher, and hindsight plays a vital role. Unfortunately, many people go through life just repeating the same old mistakes over and over again. They somehow miss the connection between hindsight and insight.
Granted, we all make mistakes, but the important question for each of us to ask ourselves is: “Do I really learn from my mistakes?” And, if so, then we need to ask: “Do I make it a point to adjust my life accordingly?”
The truth is, if we can’t say yes to both of those questions, then the answer is no to both.
Hindsight lets us reflect and grow wise!
Wisdom and insight come to those who learn from their experiences, adjust their course, and continue in the direction of their goals and aspirations. Experience can teach us so many valuable lessons, but only if we are willing to adjust our lives accordingly.
That’s why it is so important that we continuously measure the results of our actions. If we don’t take the time to analyze our past performance, how can we expect to gain the insight to produce better results? If we don’t have the hindsight to see where we’ve been, how could we possibly have the insight to see where we are going?
Our performance is like a compass that keeps us moving in the direction we want to go. When we get a little off course, things don’t work out so well. If we are paying attention, we will analyze what we just did, and how we might have done it differently. Then we can try something a little different, and compare the results.
Hindsight benefits us in all areas!
You can apply this approach to every area of your life. Yes it works in business, but it also works in relationships of all kinds. If we accidentally do something that offends someone we care about, we need to take note, and try to avoid doing it again.
What this means is that we need to be fully involved in our own life. We need to pay attention, careful attention, to how our thoughts, actions, and words affect the quality of our life. We also need to pay attention to how our actions affect the lives of those around us.
When we contribute to the quality of other people’s lives, we reap personal benefits. The quality of our life is in direct proportion to the quality of our contribution. If we are not giving, then we are not living, we’re just going through the motions and missing the real essence of life.
The only way that hindsight can be 20-20 then, is if we take the time to notice what we did, how it turned out, and whether or not we need to make changes. This is how we develop insight.
Hindsight allows us to learn and adjust
There is a famous saying by George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I think more than remembering is called for. Insight requires more than just remembering. I would say that those who don’t learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. And while this saying is often applied on a grand scale to nations and governments, I think it has it greatest application for us as individuals.
It’s always amazing to meet somebody that has no clue why their life is the way it is. They go through life doing the same things over and over again, and thinking that one of these days they are bound to produce a better result. Albert Einstein nailed this kind of thinking when he defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It really boils down to a complete lack of hindsight.
Personal change doesn’t need to be complicated
If we’re not happy with our life, we need to take some time to analyze the actions and decisions that got us where we are. What adjustments could we make to break our current cycle and produce a different result? As you look back on your past thinking and actions, can you identify things that could have been done differently? That’s hindsight.
Could you benefit from sharpening that hindsight a bit? Of course you could, just use what you have learned to help you make a few simple adjustments. You probably don’t need to turn your life upside down. Start out by making small adjustments, and pay careful attention to what happens.
Did things get better, or did they get worse? Either way, you can still use that information to make further adjustments. Before you know it, you will have turned your hindsight into insight.
How important do you think hindsight is?
How have the lessons from your past benefited you?
The lines are open and your thoughts really do matter!
If you enjoyed this article, consider email or RSS updates!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Jonathan,
Clear, explanatory article I have enjoyed reading. So much truth in your words about things a person can implement to improve life quality. To do so, the person needs motivation. No one is going to change for them if they are not willing to apply that change, and watch the effects improving slowly. This would apply in any situation, work place, or family matters as well. Just as if a master painter puts his brush to finish, his artistic work the same in life we need to have a picture in mind to start the process of making hindsight into insight.
Thank you,
Zuzanna
ZuzannaM´s last amazing blog post ..NOSTALGIA
Hi Zuzanna, I love the analogy of a master painter. Thanks for sharing that.
Hindsight is 20-20, very true, Jonathan, but we don’t have to suffer through bad experience all the time. I like how you talked about listening and being present in our own life. I want to add about intuition and gut-feel. More often than not, those have led me to make the right choices when everything else pointed the other way. And then, my hindsight makes me look like a genius but I really try to listen to the inner voice…Do you have one too?
Hello Farnoosh, it really is important that we listen to that little. If we compare times when we did to times when we ignored it, we quickly realize how important our intuition is.
I wrote a story about a good friend who ignored that little voice and paid the ultimate price for his decision. It’s called: When Your Inner Voice Speaks Do You Listen?
Hi Jonathan,
I think that the 20-20 idea is just one of those conditioned collective sayings that become a cultural belief. Does 20-20 mean our perspective of the past is always perfect – and clear? Hmmm, I wonder.
Surely those who understand the value of self-reflection can gain enormous insights into their experience by re-examining past history. But as history is a “living thing,” they can also reshape their understanding of the what and why of their experiences to truly benefit themselves (and those around them).
The Buddhist concept of non-resistance and non-attachment is valuable in the consideration of the past. Extract what is true (even if it’s tough to do) learn the value of it, understand the emotions associated with it (usually they are still around), practice self-empathy and let it go.
Best, Louise
Hello Louise and thanks for sharing those thoughts with us. Our perception is definitely a valuable tool when it comes to assigning value to any experience. So is learning to let go of baggage.
The concept that all suffering comes from attachment may well be true, but I think the same could be said of all passion. While I believe that we can separate ourselves from anticipated outcomes to some degree, there is still plenty of reason to let past experience teach us to make better choices.
Will we be perfect at it (20/20)? No, but like any skill we tend to improve with practice. Personal development is an ongoing process.
“If we’re not happy with our life, we need to take some time to analyze the actions and decisions that got us where we are.”
I think this may be more accurate: If we’re not satisfied with our life, we need to take some time to analyze the actions and decisions that got us where we are.
We can be happy no matter what
Sandra Hendricks´s last amazing blog post ..Prescriptions for Happiness – By Ken Keyes, Jr.
Hi Sandra, satisfied works! Then again, if we are not happy can we truly be satisfied with that? Certainly we can be happy in almost any situation because happiness is a choice. But why couldn’t we say the same thing about being satisfied?
Hi Jonathan,
I love this concept of turning hindsight into insight. It certainly one thing to just notice what our past has been like – and another to make adjustments so we don’t continue repeating that which we don’t want to. There’s a certain level of awareness – of being aware of what has happened in our past – and how changes can make a difference. And then – it’s actually making those changes!
Lance´s last amazing blog post ..Sunday Thought For The Day
Hey Lance, yes my friend, awareness is required. Perhaps that’s why some people learn from their experiences and make positive adjustment, while others never connect the dots.
This is the 2nd time I’ve replied to these comments because my site crashes an erased all the comments and replies for a whole day. I’m trying to turn that hindsight into insight right now. It would help if I had some idea of what caused it to happen. A clear case of lacking awareness!
This is a very important piece that will greatly benefit me in my personal development. I have on several occasions tried to grow and change from my mistakes, but I never made a plan of action and actually used them to make me better. I am so grateful for this post. Thank you.
Frank´s last amazing blog post ..From The Streets To The Palace
Hey Frank, I can’t tell you how good it feels to get such positive feedback. I am truly pleased that I was able to help. Thanks for the encouragement.
I don’t have much to add to that one but I can I just say beautiful title Jonathan, really simple and eye grabbing!
Amit Sodha – The Power Of Choice´s last amazing blog post ..Things They Don’t Teach At School – 17 Recommendations
Hey Amit, you add value just by being here. Thanks for your support my friend.
{ 1 trackback }