11 Reasons People Who Don't Admit Their Mistakes Do Worse In Life

Admitting mistakes makes you a better person, not a worse one.

A woman in a striped shirt sits at a desk, looking at a laptop with a surprised expression. Her hands are on her cheeks, and she appears to be in an office setting.

Many people have a difficult time admitting their mistakes because they want to portray an image of strength and perfection.

Saying, “I made a mistake” can be difficult because it requires an admission of vulnerability.

And vulnerability is hard.

What people often don’t realize is that being vulnerable and admitting you’re wrong can bring a multitude of positives that far exceed the negativity of the mistake they made.

Whereas avoiding ownership of your mistakes usually leads to a whole load more negativity than the mistake itself. Here’s why:

1. You miss out on learning opportunities.

Two people sit at a cafe table, engaged in conversation. Each has a coffee and some personal items on the table, including a phone and a notebook. The atmosphere is casual and bright, with large windows in the background.

It’s not always easy to take the right action or make the right judgment when you’re confronted with a situation. Sometimes you simply don’t know better because, in that moment, you can’t know better.

This is the definition of ignorance. And although it’s often used as an insult, ignorance is simply a state of ‘not knowing’.

The key is that you don’t stay in this state of not knowing after you’ve made a mistake. Yet this is something that unsuccessful people often fail to understand.

Admitting that your action or judgment was a mistake is the first step to learning from it. Once you accept your lack of knowledge about something you can explore opportunities to learn more about it. If you never admit this, how can you learn more?

Nobody likes to be wrong, but it’s much easier to stomach when you view your mistakes as a learning experience.

If you don’t learn why your actions or words were wrong, you remain ignorant in this situation, and you’ll continue to make the same error again and again.

2. You close the door to self-reflection and growth.

A woman with long blonde hair is sitting against a textured gray wall. She wears a light gray turtleneck sweater and jeans, gazing thoughtfully with one hand resting on her head and the other on her knee. The lighting is soft and subdued.

Self-reflection is an important part of personal growth. Admitting your mistakes can free you from the limited perception that comes with stubbornly needing to be right.

But what does that mean?

Well, if you can’t admit your mistakes, you’ll have a much harder time objectively examining yourself and your actions because you’re only looking at the problem through your own eyes and emotions.

You’ll be constantly trying to justify your behaviour which closes the door to self-reflection and growth.

Instead, if you admit your errors you can connect with the person you wronged. You’ll realize you don’t need to justify your bad behavior which will make it easier for you to understand the mistake from their perspective.

This shift in mindset allows you to reflect on your actions and identify areas for personal growth and development.

3. You make yourself appear untrustworthy.

A man and a woman are having a serious discussion in an office. The man is wearing a white shirt and glasses, and the woman is in a gray suit. A notebook and pen are on the table between them.

Taking responsibility for your mistakes demonstrates accountability which is a key characteristic of reliable, trustworthy people.

Why is accountability so important?

Well, avoiding responsibility often requires deception or lying.

Furthermore, not taking responsibility may introduce additional problems as the mistake escalates if not dealt with promptly.

For example, if you mess up at work, the mistake can often be fixed much easier the sooner it’s addressed. The longer it goes on, the more likely it is to cause other problems or damage, which often require more money and man-hours to make right.

4. You weaken your relationships.

A man and a woman sit on a couch, engaged in a conversation. The man in a green shirt gestures with his hand, while the woman in a light green shirt raises one hand, with a questioning expression. They are in a bright room with large windows.

Honest communication fosters trust in relationships. Dishonest communication does the exact opposite.

People are more likely to trust and respect someone who admits their errors. They’ll know they don’t need to worry about you having ulterior motives or hiding away important information. They know that you’ll be upfront when you make a mistake, apologize, and want to fix it.

That’s what healthy relationships are all about.

Sooner or later you’ll butt heads in any relationship. But rather than trying to be right all the time, admitting your mistakes means you stop fighting with everyone and resolve problems before they escalate.

The way you handle your mistakes can be the difference between making and breaking a relationship.

5. You don’t develop better problem-solving skills.

A man with a trimmed beard and mustache, wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans, sits near a window holding a tablet. Two unlit candles are on the windowsill, and the background appears to be a soft-focus view of the outdoors.

A mistake is an accidental problem you caused that needs solving. It’s highly unlikely you meant to do the wrong thing. You probably just didn’t know any better, or you made the wrong choice.

But unintentional or not, if you want to make amends, you need to first admit the problem and then find a way to fix it. Without admitting it, you never give yourself the chance to move on to the fixing part.

Granted, the person you wronged may know exactly how they want you to fix it and you need to listen to them. But if they don’t, you’ll need to come up with a solution on your own or work with them to find a mutually acceptable resolution.

And this requires problem-solving skills. Problem-solving skills that you’ll end up lacking if you never take that first step and own your mistake.

6. You come across as arrogant.

Two men in business suits are talking near a water cooler in an office setting. One man gestures with his hand while the other listens, touching his chin. The office has large windows and a plant in the foreground.

When you are arrogant you believe you are better than others. Making mistakes is beneath you. On the flip side, humility makes you more approachable and relatable to others.

When you hide your mistakes you construct and maintain a façade that walls you off from real connection. You come off as arrogant.

How can people genuinely like you if they don’t know the authentic you?

Everyone makes mistakes, so when you own your flaws you show you are humble. This encourages others to do the same and fosters trust and acceptance in relationships. In contrast, the people who refuse to admit their mistakes demonstrate arrogance, or worse, outright deceit. They will be rumbled eventually, at which point the trust is broken, often beyond repair.

Rather than showing weakness, there’s power in the ability to admit you’re human and thus prone to making mistakes, just like everyone else.

7. People won’t respect your leadership.

A blonde woman in a navy blazer is sitting at a table with two men. She appears to be mid-conversation, gesturing with her hands, showing an intent expression. The men are listening attentively. The background is a bright room with some potted plants.

Some people believe a great leader should be infallible. But not most sensible, rational people.

In truth, one of the greatest things you can do as a leader is show integrity and admit you were wrong if you make a mistake or error of judgment. Such admissions create a culture where honesty is valued above appearance or favorable opinion. They show that learning and improvement are valued and encouraged.

The thoughts and opinions of followers or subordinates are acknowledged when they are allowed to correct the mistakes of their leader.

Furthermore, it helps foster an environment where everyone feels more comfortable stepping forward to admit their own mistakes.

In contrast, if people don’t feel confident to do this, they’ll be more inclined to hide their mistakes too, which is only going to cause a whole lot more stress and work for all concerned.

8. You miss out on opportunities to become more courageous.

Two people are working together in an office. The man, in a suit and glasses, is holding a document and discussing it with the woman, who is using a laptop. They are surrounded by office supplies, plants, bookshelves, and a window in the background.

It’s scary admitting your mistakes.

You don’t know how others will react. There could be unpleasant judgments and uncomfortable repercussions. Depending on the scale of the mistake, the outcome of the confession could even be life-changing.

It’s no surprise then, that to face the fear of judgement and rejection and admit your mistake is a huge act of bravery.

The fear that comes with owning your errors will likely never go away, but with every admission you make, you build more courage and resilience. On the other hand, the fear will just get bigger and bigger if you never confess to your errors.

9. People see you as dishonest and lacking in integrity.

A bearded man in a plaid shirt gestures expressively with his hands while engaged in conversation with another person, who is partially visible and wearing a blue shirt. They are in a brightly lit indoor setting with blurred office elements in the background.

Honesty is an essential part of any healthy relationship. Relationships that lack honesty and integrity are suspect. Fact.

When someone lacks the integrity to own up to their mistakes, you can never fully trust them. You can’t trust that they will be honest with you if they do something wrong, and you’ll probably start to doubt them even when they aren’t making mistakes.

Dishonesty is pervasive like that.

In contrast, when you have the integrity to own up to your errors, you demonstrate that you’ll stick to your word, take responsibility for your actions, and strive to make the right choices when you’re confronted with them.

People might be hurt by your mistake, sure, but they’ll respect you for your honesty and know they can trust you to tell the truth going forward.

10. You miss opportunities to build bridges.

Two women are in a living room. The woman in the foreground, wearing a pink top, has an expression of confusion and is shrugging. The woman in the background, on the couch, is wearing a light blue top and has her hand outstretched, as if explaining something.

Don’t you hate it when you argue with someone, and the tension just hangs in the air? Like you can cut it with a knife.

That feeling is typically uncomfortable for everyone, and it usually doesn’t go away until someone apologizes and owns their mistake.

The best way to relieve that tension is to get everything off your chest with meaningful communication.

That starts with admitting to a mistake. It shows the other person that you want to make a good-faith effort to sort things out between you.

This is helpful in both personal and professional relationships because it offers an olive branch to the other person, letting them know you are ready to try and resolve the conflict rather than just bicker about it.

11. You never learn to make better decisions.

A man in a white shirt and tie sits on stairs with a pensive expression, holding his chin and a smartphone. Beside him is an open box containing a plant, a photo frame, and other personal items, suggesting he may have been laid off from his job.

When we don’t admit to our wrongdoing, we tend to bury it, giving us zero chance to examine it and improve our decision-making skills going forward.

In contrast, when you admit a mistake, you confront it. This brings it to the fore and allows you to sit down and examine what led you to make it.

By following your decision-making trail backward, you can identify where you made wrong turns. Then, you can apply that information to future decisions you are confronted with so that when a similar situation arises you can make well-thought-out and informed choices.

One option leads to a likelihood of making the same mistake again, the other leads to a greater chance of success next time around.

Finally…

A person with their hair in a bun sits on a light gray chair in an office, facing another chair. A white bookshelf with binders, folders, and plants, and a wall clock are in the background. A potted plant is to the left.

It’s hard to be vulnerable and to admit your mistakes.

It’s something that many people struggle with because it’s uncomfortable. But if you are willing to face this discomfort and honestly address your errors, you’ll find your relationships will be stronger and healthier as a result.

You’ll open lines of communication, be more trustworthy, and connect more deeply with other people.

So take the difficult path of owning your mistakes. It can transform your relationships and your life.