[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#e04223″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” custom_padding=”15px|0px|15px|0px” padding_mobile=”on” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding_tablet=”15px|0px|15px|0px” next_background_color=”#FFFFFF”][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”10px||0px|” padding_mobile=”on” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Sometimes a typo is just a typo” background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” text_font=”|||on|” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” prev_background_color=”#e04223″ next_background_color=”#dedede”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/impro.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/mistake-968334_960_720.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”left” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Post Body” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_padding=”||30px|”]<\/p>\n
In a recent email I typed\u00a0\u2018GB’ when I meant to type\u00a0\u2018FB’ as shorthand for Facebook. My correspondent was mildly mystified and asked what I meant. I explained, which would have made a good end to the matter. \u00a0But because we sometimes debate the value of mistakes, I apologised for what struck me as a characteristically unhelpful mistake that produces no learning and wastes a few minutes of our time.<\/p>\n
Perhaps with tongue in a cheek, she replied,\u00a0\u2018Yes, but think of all the creative juices that went into imagining what GB could be.\u2019\u00a0 Now let\u2019s\u00a0leave aside our instinctive thought that improvisers are supposed to\u00a0\u2018Yes, and\u2019\u00a0rather than\u00a0\u2018Yes, but\u2019, and consider the implications of chasing a typo to justify a poor argument.<\/p>\n
Of course mistakes might lead onto good things, such as new creative thoughts, just as getting things right can lead on to good things beyond the accomplishment of whatever it was that was got right. \u00a0If that\u2019s the main point of the mistakes lobby, then they are offering a feeble argument while trivialising the true negative value of \u00a0mistakes that cause annoyance, wastage, injury, death and suchlike.<\/p>\n
If, as my writing partner implies, nothing is a waste of time, then we lose the concept of wasted time and cannot make a distinction between good use of time and a waste of time.\u00a0 This is, for me at least, a useful distinction – whether looking back at things I’ve done, or looking forward to decide what to do next.<\/p>\n
I’d prefer not to make nonsensical mistakes when typing and sending people messages, because the message is trying to accomplish a transfer of information, not to prompt them to be creatively interpreting the misprint.\u00a0 There are so many examples of mistakes being a waste of time (repeatedly failing to get the right password on a computer is particularly useless and annoying, to take a fairly trivial example).<\/p>\n
To soften the blow in any one instance of a mistake may be a kindness (perhaps to children), but to destroy the valuable distinctions that categorise mistakes as undesirable moves (when typing, driving, allocating scarce resources, etc,\u00a0etc) is a folly. \u00a0 What improvisers have to offer is so much more coherent and useful than that.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row” custom_padding=”0px|||” padding_mobile=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_divider color=”#dddddd” show_divider=”on” divider_style=”solid” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”on” custom_css_main_element=”margin-bottom: 0px;” \/][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_slider admin_label=”CTA Slider” _builder_version=”3.0.65″ show_arrows=”off” show_pagination=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” remove_inner_shadow=”on” custom_button=”off” button_letter_spacing=”0″ button_icon_placement=”right” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ auto=”on” auto_ignore_hover=”off” hide_content_on_mobile=”off” hide_cta_on_mobile=”off” show_image_video_mobile=”off” module_class=”cta-slider” auto_speed=”7000″ saved_tabs=”all” global_module=”3536″][et_pb_slide background_color=”#ffffff” use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” background_position=”center” background_size=”cover” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”]<\/p>\n