I should probably make the distinction here between really dumb things, and routine mistakes made in the course of your life. The latter, as I’ve noted, are certainly painful, but inescapable and useful learning. What do I mean, then, by really dumb things? There are two classes: unrecoverable errors and denial. Unrecoverable errors can screw up your future - like committing a crime and going to prison, or limiting your options by not trying to get the best education available, or making decisions which likely will lead to major health problems or financial destruction.
