--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It isn't making mistakes that's critical…" description: "\"It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.\" — Donald Rumsfeld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/donald-rumsfeld-1507_correcting_it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical_2584150.png" --- # It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting… ![“It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.” quote by Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/donald-rumsfeld-1507_correcting_it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical_2584150.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/donald-rumsfeld-1507_correcting_it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical_2584150.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/donald-rumsfeld-1507_correcting_it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical_2584150.png) > “It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.” [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The value lies not in avoiding errors but in fixing them quickly and refocusing on core objectives. **In simple terms:** Fix errors, then keep moving forward. Key Takeaway Prioritize correction, then continue the main work. Themes error management accountability focus Mood pragmatic determined Type advice leadership When to use this quote - project management - software development - emergency response - personal growth Key Concepts continuous improvement resilience leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance fixing mistakes with progressing on goals? - What systems help you correct errors efficiently? A Different Perspective Correction alone doesn't guarantee success without clear priorities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Correcting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/correcting/) [Correcting Getting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/correcting-getting-1803958/) [Critical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical/) [Critical Correcting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical-correcting-1803956/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Making mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-mistakes/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Mistakes Critical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes-critical-1412351/) [Principal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principal/) [Principal Task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principal-task-1803957/) ## Related quotes > [Success tends to go not to the person who is error-free, because he also tends to be risk-averse. Rather it goes to the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/success-tends-to-go-not-to-the-person-who-is-error-free-because-he/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The principal task of a conductor is not to put himself in evidence but to disappear behind his functions as much as possible. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-liszt/the-principal-task-of-a-conductor-is-not-to-put-himself-in-evidence/) [Franz Liszt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-liszt/) > [“As in all such technological nightmares, the principal task is to foresee what is possible; to educate use and misuse; and to prevent its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/as-in-all-such-technological-nightmares-the-principal-task-is-to/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Legislators in Kansas, Arizona and 23 other states who are properly determined to protect religious freedom can begin by asking themselves: Does any religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blankenhorn/legislators-in-kansas-arizona-and-23-other-states-who-are-properly/) [David Blankenhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blankenhorn/) > [Most people define learning too narrowly as mere 'problem-solving', so they focus on identifying and correcting errors in the external environment. Solving problems is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-argyris/most-people-define-learning-too-narrowly-as-mere-problem-solving-so/) [Chris Argyris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-argyris/) > [Correcting bad habits cannot be done by forbidding or punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baden-powell/correcting-bad-habits-cannot-be-done-by-forbidding-or-punishment/) [Robert Baden-Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baden-powell/) > [When you are writing, of course, you have to do all that writing and correcting for yourself. When I was a librarian it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mahy/when-you-are-writing-of-course-you-have-to-do-all-that-writing-and/) [Margaret Mahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mahy/) > [I am sincerely trying now to create a dance technique based entirely upon corrective exercises, created with a knowledge of human anatomy; a technique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-horton/i-am-sincerely-trying-now-to-create-a-dance-technique-based-entirely/) [Lester Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-horton/) > [I was the girl who was correcting people on the spelling of Led Zeppelin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-spielberg/i-was-the-girl-who-was-correcting-people-on-the-spelling-of-led/) [Sasha Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-spielberg/) > [If you look in the dictionary under 'perfectionist,' you see Henry Selick correcting the definition of perfectionist in the dictionary. I mean, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/if-you-look-in-the-dictionary-under-perfectionist-you-see-henry/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [The process of debugging, going an correcting the program and then looking at the behavior, and then correcting it again, and finally iteratively getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-negroponte/the-process-of-debugging-going-an-correcting-the-program-and-then/) [Nicholas Negroponte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-negroponte/) > [The universe is not only self-organizing, it is also self-correcting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-universe-is-not-only-self-organizing-it-is-also-self-correcting/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [More often than not, the belief that you are bad contributes to the "bad" behavior. Change and learning occur most readily when you (a)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/more-often-than-not-the-belief-that-you-are-bad-contributes-to-the/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [“We’re Garde,’ I say, correcting this billion-year-old godlike energy force, because what the hell, we’ve come this far. ‘We’re here for your help.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/we-re-garde-i-say-correcting-this-billion-year-old-godlike-energy/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) ## More by Donald Rumsfeld > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-believe-anyone-that-i-know-in-the-administration-ever-said/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [I don't think we'll discover anything, myself. I think what will happen is we'll discover people who will tell us where to go find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-think-we-ll-discover-anything-myself-i-think-what-will-happen/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are not there by accident. Each managed to get there for some reason. Learn what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/members-of-the-u-s-house-and-the-u-s-senate-are-not-there-by-accident/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-federal-government-should-be-the-last-resort-not-the-first-ask-if/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth. Others won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-price-of-being-close-to-the-president-is-delivering-bad-news-you/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/don-t-speak-ill-of-your-predecessors-or-successors-you-didn-t-walk-in/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [If you can't solve a problem, make it bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/if-you-can-t-solve-a-problem-make-it-bigger/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/enjoy-your-time-in-public-service-it-may-well-be-one-of-the-most/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [There will be good moments, and there will be less good moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/there-will-be-good-moments-and-there-will-be-less-good-moments/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [From where you sit, the White House may look as untidy as the inside of a stomach. As is said of the legislative process,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/from-where-you-sit-the-white-house-may-look-as-untidy-as-the-inside/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/you-will-launch-many-projects-but-have-time-to-finish-only-a-few-so/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [What is the value of having millions of people in Iraq not having a repressive regime? What is the value of having the Iraqi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/what-is-the-value-of-having-millions-of-people-in-iraq-not-having-a/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/don-t-be-a-bottleneck-if-a-matter-is-not-a-decision-for-the-president/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [When you're skiing, if you're not falling you're not trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/when-you-re-skiing-if-you-re-not-falling-you-re-not-trying/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) [Explore all 234 Donald Rumsfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) ## More Correcting quotes > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [“We’re Garde,’ I say, correcting this billion-year-old godlike energy force, because what the hell, we’ve come this far. ‘We’re here for your help.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/we-re-garde-i-say-correcting-this-billion-year-old-godlike-energy/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [More often than not, the belief that you are bad contributes to the "bad" behavior. Change and learning occur most readily when you (a)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/more-often-than-not-the-belief-that-you-are-bad-contributes-to-the/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [The universe is not only self-organizing, it is also self-correcting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-universe-is-not-only-self-organizing-it-is-also-self-correcting/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The process of debugging, going an correcting the program and then looking at the behavior, and then correcting it again, and finally iteratively getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-negroponte/the-process-of-debugging-going-an-correcting-the-program-and-then/) [Nicholas Negroponte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-negroponte/) > [If you look in the dictionary under 'perfectionist,' you see Henry Selick correcting the definition of perfectionist in the dictionary. I mean, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/if-you-look-in-the-dictionary-under-perfectionist-you-see-henry/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I was the girl who was correcting people on the spelling of Led Zeppelin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-spielberg/i-was-the-girl-who-was-correcting-people-on-the-spelling-of-led/) [Sasha Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-spielberg/) > [I am sincerely trying now to create a dance technique based entirely upon corrective exercises, created with a knowledge of human anatomy; a technique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-horton/i-am-sincerely-trying-now-to-create-a-dance-technique-based-entirely/) [Lester Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-horton/) > [When you are writing, of course, you have to do all that writing and correcting for yourself. When I was a librarian it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mahy/when-you-are-writing-of-course-you-have-to-do-all-that-writing-and/) [Margaret Mahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mahy/) > [Correcting bad habits cannot be done by forbidding or punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baden-powell/correcting-bad-habits-cannot-be-done-by-forbidding-or-punishment/) [Robert Baden-Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baden-powell/) > [Most people define learning too narrowly as mere 'problem-solving', so they focus on identifying and correcting errors in the external environment. Solving problems is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-argyris/most-people-define-learning-too-narrowly-as-mere-problem-solving-so/) [Chris Argyris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-argyris/) > [Legislators in Kansas, Arizona and 23 other states who are properly determined to protect religious freedom can begin by asking themselves: Does any religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blankenhorn/legislators-in-kansas-arizona-and-23-other-states-who-are-properly/) [David Blankenhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blankenhorn/) > [I have never known what is Arabic or English, or which one was really mine beyond any doubt. What I do know, however, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/i-have-never-known-what-is-arabic-or-english-or-which-one-was-really/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Let me just acknowlege that the function of grammar is to make language as efficent and clear and transparent as possible. But if we’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/let-me-just-acknowlege-that-the-function-of-grammar-is-to-make/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [One thing that the white man can never give the black man is self respect. The black man in the ghettos, have to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/one-thing-that-the-white-man-can-never-give-the-black-man-is-self/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) [Browse all 167 Correcting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/correcting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Rumsfeld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical-it-s-correcting-them-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Correcting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical-it-s-correcting-them-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/donald-rumsfeld-1507_correcting_it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical_2584150.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/donald-rumsfeld-1507_correcting_it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical_2584150.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/donald-rumsfeld-1507_correcting_it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical_2584150.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.” — Donald Rumsfeld", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Donald Rumsfeld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It isn't making mistakes that's critical;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical-it-s-correcting-them-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-isn-t-making-mistakes-that-s-critical-it-s-correcting-them-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```