Making Small Mistakes Prevents Bigger Ones

Mistakes are inevitable, you have to make one at some point. But not all mistakes are created equal. This post explores why making small mistakes is actually beneficial to prevent bigger failures.

When I first learned that small forest fires can actually be beneficial, I was really surprised. In the United States, forest managers sometimes allow minor fires to burn naturally. When they suppress these small fires, the forest continues to grow until trees stand too close together. Any fire that happens in such dense conditions becomes catastrophic. Allowing small fires clears out undergrowth and helps the ecosystem stay balanced.

This analogy repeated in my brain over and over again because it was really smart. At some point, people came together and said, "We can't prevent all fires, let's focus on preventing big fires at least." After that, they realized that small fires are actually helpful.

Just like forest fires have to happen from time to time, people make mistakes. I've never seen anyone—whether successful or not—who hasn't made mistakes in their life. These mistakes can be small or big, just like fires. So I wonder: can making small mistakes actually help prevent bigger ones?

From a personal perspective, I used to hate making mistakes when I was younger. Back then, I felt like I was the only one making mistakes. After learning how the world works, I stopped worrying. Mistakes are inevitable. Since everyone makes mistakes, I realized I could grow more than those who don't learn from their failures.

Even if I don't always confess it to others, I admit to myself that I made a mistake. It’s the first step. I think about it deeply, trying to understand its root causes. Was it the result of childhood trauma, miscalculation, emotional imbalance, or just bad luck? Once I identify the root cause, I consider how to address it. This isn't easy. Therapy helps a lot. Then I develop a plan to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

I realized that accepting small mistakes and working on them helped me avoid bigger ones. Let me give you an example of someone who didn't do this.

It's the famous Turkish chef Nusret (also known as Salt Bae).

I'm sure this wasn't who you were expecting, but bear with me.

Salt Bae’s PR Adventure

Before Nusret became an internet meme, his restaurant in Istanbul was both famous and well-respected. Some years later, he became a meme, and probably deserved to become one because his character was very unique and funny. He still maintained respect at that time.

Soon after, he began posting increasingly weird videos of himself slapping meat. His fame kept growing as he opened new restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, London, and Dubai. When I visited Vegas, I noticed that Nusret's restaurant was even more expensive than Gordon Ramsay's.

He also loves taking pictures with super famous people. Sometimes they visit his restaurant, and sometimes he appears at important events. While celebrities visiting his restaurant might not be part of a PR deal (though it seems suspicious since he's always there when a super famous person comes in), his appearances at important events are definitely paid PR stunts.

Up to this point, everything seemed perfect on the surface. He had become incredibly wealthy and famous, with countless celebrity friends. But nobody stays flawless forever. Everyone makes mistakes eventually and he certainly did.

His First Small Mistake

There was a Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool on May 26, 2018. Liverpool's star Salah was injured and left the field in tears. Real Madrid won the cup. After a while, we saw a picture on Nusret's Instagram and all over social media.

Nusret had taken a picture with Salah, who had left his team in tears during the match. While we were used to Nusret's appearances at these kinds of events and his love for celebrity photos, it seemed unacceptable to pose with a devastated football player. Someone on Twitter suggested that this was because Nusret had already arranged and paid for the PR photo opportunity with Salah. He apparently didn't care about Salah's emotional state. The photo was all that mattered.

That was the first time people on social media heavily criticized Nusret and his cringe actions. This was actually a great opportunity for him. Everyone makes mistakes eventually, and now he had made his. He could have embraced it, analyzed its root causes, understood why people disliked it, and avoided similar mistakes in the future.

If you don’t embrace small fires, they will lead you bigger ones.

The Big Fire: World Cup Disaster

Nusret didn't learn any lessons from this incident and continued his paid PR stunts because they were profitable. He had no idea that his biggest PR disaster was yet to come. In 2022, Argentina won the World Cup that many consider the greatest final in the tournament's history. The game was amazing to watch. Everyone felt strong emotions during the match, no matter where they were from.

While everyone was watching the celebrations, a familiar figure appeared on the field. It was Nusret, wearing his signature suit and shades. He was taking pictures with football players. He grabbed the cup from players and posed with it.

The final drop was when he pulled Messi to take a picture with him. He had probably paid for the PR photo and was determined to get it.

Unsurprisingly, he received the biggest backlash of his life. Even the whole Turkish community turned against him. By suppressing small fires over the years, he had set himself up for this massive blaze.

Why did people hate him? Taking pictures with guests at his restaurant is fine, even cool. But when you force your way into emotionally charged moments just for publicity, you ruin people's experiences. This was the same issue that caused the Champions League final backlash. You shouldn't exploit someone's emotional distress for a PR opportunity.

Today, even within the Turkish community, Nusret has lost all respect. His restaurants are now considered uncool, attracting only wealthy customers with no taste.

Conclusion

Making mistakes is inevitable. You will make mistakes at some point. But consider them as opportunities to prevent giant mistakes. Accept them, learn from them, and don't repeat them.