I recall that my workshop leaders were tactful in their ways of acquainting me with my shortcomings as a writer. So much so that I hardly realized they were doing it. I want always to keep that sort of thing in mind when I'm teaching. The way you get better in everything in this life is to make mistakes. Otherwise you're probably doing it right by accident. But you have to do everything wrong before you can really start with some authority to do it right.http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/stanfordtoday/ed/9809/9809fea101.shtml

Summary

The quote suggests the importance of embracing and learning from mistakes in order to improve. The speaker reflects on their experience as a writer and recalls how their workshop leaders skillfully pointed out their flaws without them even realizing it. This subtlety allowed the speaker to remain open-minded and receptive to feedback. The quote implies that making mistakes is crucial in becoming skilled and knowledgeable in any area of life. Without making errors and learning from them, one may only succeed by chance, whereas true expertise comes from acknowledging and rectifying one's faults.

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