--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: it's a good idea to review past mistakes…" description: "\"it's a good idea to review past mistakes before committing new ones.\" — Warren Buffett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/warren-buffett-183_failure_it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes_3073712.png" --- # it's a good idea to review past mistakes before committing… ![“it's a good idea to review past mistakes before committing new ones.” quote by Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/warren-buffett-183_failure_it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes_3073712.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/warren-buffett-183_failure_it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes_3073712.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/warren-buffett-183_failure_it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes_3073712.png) > “it's a good idea to review past mistakes before committing new ones.” [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reviewing past errors helps avoid repeating them and improves future decisions. **In simple terms:** Learn from mistakes before acting. Key Takeaway Reflect before you act. Themes learning reflection decisionmaking Mood cautious pragmatic Type advice motivational When to use this quote - investment decisions - personal projects - team planning - policy formulation Key Concepts risk management continuous improvement Questions to Reflect On - What lessons have you ignored? - How can you systematize review? A Different Perspective Past mistakes may not fully predict future contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Committing New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committing-new-4987022/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Good ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-ideas/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Mistakes Committing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes-committing-5211384/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-mistakes/) [Review Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/review-past-3470800/) [Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews/) ## Related quotes > [I was a history major in school. I review the past a lot and think about music history and how culture unfolds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-was-a-history-major-in-school-i-review-the-past-a-lot-and-think/) [Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/) > [Remind yourself of the value of detaching from work that's out of your hands and committing to new work that wants to be born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/remind-yourself-of-the-value-of-detaching-from-work-that-s-out-of/) [Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/) > [I think it's a good idea to be - to fairly identify where things could have gone better once you get the facts, once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-think-it-s-a-good-idea-to-be-to-fairly-identify-where-things-could/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I was planning on writing a detailed review of several books on web security tonight, but the Obama collapse has superseded my best-laid plans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-foster-johnson/i-was-planning-on-writing-a-detailed-review-of-several-books-on-web/) [Charles Foster Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-foster-johnson/) > [You'r past mistakes are made to guide you, not define you:)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shexy-bishh/you-r-past-mistakes-are-made-to-guide-you-not-define-you/) [Shexy\_bishh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shexy-bishh/) > [Don't regret about past you can't change it, Never worry about future upon which you have no control. Live the present by learning from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-regret-about-past-you-can-t-change-it-never-worry-about-future/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Remember your past mistakes just long enough to profit by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-d-mckinnon/remember-your-past-mistakes-just-long-enough-to-profit-by-them/) [Clinton D. McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-d-mckinnon/) > [Yes we had made mistakes in the past we made mistakes in the present but those mistakes will show us a valuable lesson for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keidelinne-alvarez/yes-we-had-made-mistakes-in-the-past-we-made-mistakes-in-the-present/) [Keidelinne Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keidelinne-alvarez/) > [Life is what you make it...Learn from your past mistakes, or you're destine to repeat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-what-you-make-it-learn-from-your-past-mistakes-or-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Your life is like a book you decide what to write on it or erase from it; But you might not be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/topsy-gift/your-life-is-like-a-book-you-decide-what-to-write-on-it-or-erase-from/) [Topsy Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/topsy-gift/) > [My past mistakes are mine some I don't like some have made me who I am and some you may not accept but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/my-past-mistakes-are-mine-some-i-don-t-like-some-have-made-me-who-i/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [“Sometimes people rise above their past, sometimes not. And sometimes the people you least expect it from—like Raylan and my father— have a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayla-cunningham/sometimes-people-rise-above-their-past-sometimes-not-and-sometimes/) [Kayla Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayla-cunningham/) > [“Stop focusing on your past mistakes. Don’t be ashamed of the things that you’ve done. We ALL have made mistakes. Don’t you see? All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lahart/stop-focusing-on-your-past-mistakes-don-t-be-ashamed-of-the-things/) [Stephanie Lahart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lahart/) > [“We can learn from our past mistakes. But we’re not allowed to ruin the now by beating ourselves up over the then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-e-richards/we-can-learn-from-our-past-mistakes-but-we-re-not-allowed-to-ruin-the/) [Douglas E. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-e-richards/) > [“For those filled with regret, perhaps the most needful exercise of proactivity is to realize that past mistakes are also out there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/for-those-filled-with-regret-perhaps-the-most-needful-exercise-of/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) ## More by Warren Buffett > [To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information. What's needed is a sound intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/to-invest-successfully-over-a-lifetime-does-not-require-a/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/be-fearful-when-others-are-greedy-and-be-greedy-when-others-are/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Making money isn't the backbone of our guiding purpose; it is the by-product of our guiding purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/making-money-isn-t-the-backbone-of-our-guiding-purpose-it-is-the-by/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [We set no volume goals in our insurance business generally-and certainly not in reinsurance-as virtually any volume can be achieved if profitability standards are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/we-set-no-volume-goals-in-our-insurance-business-generally-and/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Everybody's got a different circle of competence. The important thing is not how big the circle is. The important thing is staying inside the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/everybody-s-got-a-different-circle-of-competence-the-important-thing/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [It is better to point out your own mistakes than have somebody else do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/it-is-better-to-point-out-your-own-mistakes-than-have-somebody-else/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I've read about all the sales today. If you're an auto dealer, you're feeling it. If you're a furniture retailer like we are, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-ve-read-about-all-the-sales-today-if-you-re-an-auto-dealer-you-re/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I was lucky enough to be born in a time and place where society values my talent, and gave me a good education to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-was-lucky-enough-to-be-born-in-a-time-and-place-where-society/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [The most common cause of low prices is pessimism - some times pervasive, some times specific to a company or industry. We want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-most-common-cause-of-low-prices-is-pessimism-some-times-pervasive/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [The reaction of weak management to weak operations is often weak accounting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-reaction-of-weak-management-to-weak-operations-is-often-weak/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [What you really want to do in investments is figure out what's important and knowable. If it's unimportant or unknowable you forget about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/what-you-really-want-to-do-in-investments-is-figure-out-what-s/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I don't measure my life by the money I've made. Other people might, but certainly don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-don-t-measure-my-life-by-the-money-i-ve-made-other-people-might-but/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I mean the truth is, I've never had it so good in terms of taxes. I am paying the lowest tax rate that I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-mean-the-truth-is-i-ve-never-had-it-so-good-in-terms-of-taxes-i-am/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect. You need a temperament that neither derives great pleasure from being with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-most-important-quality-for-an-investor-is-temperament-not/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Investors, of course, can, by their own behavior make stock ownership highly risky. And many do. Active trading, attempts to "time" market movements, inadequate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/investors-of-course-can-by-their-own-behavior-make-stock-ownership/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) [Explore all 984 Warren Buffett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "it's a good idea to review past mistakes before committing new ones.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Warren Buffett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes-before-committing-new-ones/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes-before-committing-new-ones/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/warren-buffett-183_failure_it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes_3073712.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/warren-buffett-183_failure_it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes_3073712.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/warren-buffett-183_failure_it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes_3073712.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“it's a good idea to review past mistakes before committing new ones.” — Warren Buffett", "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": "Warren Buffett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "it's a good idea to review...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes-before-committing-new-ones/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/it-s-a-good-idea-to-review-past-mistakes-before-committing-new-ones/#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 } } ] } ```