Is 'I'm only human' ever an excuse for multiple and similar mistakes?

[Parasondox]

Dear internet,

I here this phrase said a lot in my lifetime. Whether it has been personally said to me or have heard others blurt it out to the loved ones they have hurt. We all make mistakes. We make them, learn from them and learn to move on and remembering the affects it had in the past. That is pretty much human nature. However what about if the person makes the same mistake time and time again but tries to defend themselves by saying, "I'm only human".

I feel two things about this. One, the above statement I made before. We do make mistakes and that is human nature but on the other hand, how many times are you going to repeat the same mistake over and over again and keep using that excuse. "If I say this, then the matter should be buried quickly", even though the other person on the receiving end, will still be hurt. Once again, I do hear it a lot when it comes to relationships but it does happen in many areas.

What do YOU think ladies and gents. Is 'I'm only human' ever an excuse for multiple and similar mistakes?

 

[Thaluikhain]

I guess it would be, if the person you were saying it to was from some non-human species that made less mistakes that was judging you by their own standards.

Otherwise, not so much.

 

[Uriel_Hayabusa]

What do YOU think ladies and gents. Is 'I'm only human' ever an excuse for multiple and similar mistakes?

The way I see it, absolutely not. It's one of those benign-sounding but ultimately meaningless phrases that don't inspire (working towards) solutions or improvements.

Whenever someone says ''I'm only human'' as a way of deflecting judgment, I'm always tempted to respond ''Well so was *insert well-known dictator/serial killer/mass murderer/whatever type of unpleasant human being you can think of''. But more often than not I resist the urge to snark since I realize that doesn't solve anything either.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

No, "I'm only human" may help for making multiple mistakes, but it doesn't excuse making the same (or a similar) mistake over and over again. If a person is making the same mistake multiple times, I would hope there was a more specific reason behind it.

 

[Tay's Nightmare]

Noobie alert

No. I only use it however when I'm just playing around and the mistake wasn't a biggie. Yes humans make mistakes, but if you constantly make the same mistakes over and over, I don't think excuses are valid.

 

[omega 616]

I believe it was Alexander Pope who said "to er is humane, to forgive, divine" but if you're constantly making the same mistake or variations of it, then you're refusing to learn.

I have all the time in the world for people who want to actually learn and improve themselves but if I am trying to teach/help you and you ignore my advice, fuck it up, then moan that you fucked it up ... you can fuck off.

That's not "I can't do it", it's "I want people to do it for me" ... in the end you're only hurting yourself.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Its entirely human to screw up and do it over and over. But its not absolution of responsibility simply because people are fallible creatures. There are very few "free passes" when it comes to mistake making, most of which are the rare (rarer than the media would have you believe) mentally ill cases. As my grandfather used to say, a mistake is something you do once, a fuck up is something you do over and over because you refuse to learn.

 

[maidenm]

Not sure if it's the full quote or an addition but I think the phrase is "To err is human, to forgive is divine, to persist in error is diabolical".

In other words, yeah humans make mistakes, but it's not a good quality to keep making mistakes. Especially not if it's the same mistakes over and over.

 

[klaynexas3]

It's an excuse. But like any excuse, it only excuses so much of your behavior. The person can say it if they want, and I might even show sympathy towards them about it, but it doesn't mean I won't make sure they learn from that mistake. And if they have to make it over and over and over again to drive home the point, then that's that. Some people are slow learners, I know I can be for certain situations. I wouldn't penalize them for this, simply make sure that they learn from it. And, if their mistake hurts me, and I realize they'll keep making it, then I have to learn to not be involved enough to be around when the mistake happens again. Me staying in a situation that's bad for me is a mistake in of itself.

CAPTCHA: you win
Great, now the captchas are internet ads.

 

[happyninja42]

I think the phrase is somewhat useful when dealing with my clients. I work in customer service for the VA, out of our state affiliated office. Very often people come in mad and bitching about some very minor thing, and act like they have been betrayed to their core!! They will gripe at me demanding I explain why whatever thing that was in error happened, and I frequently respond with "Well, the letter's are composed by people, and you always have to account for human error, you know. Nobody's perfect." I use this mostly to get them to stop yelling at me, since I didn't have anything to do with the error, as that was waaaay up the federal chain, and also to remind them that nothing is perfect, and mistakes happen, and that bitching about it like a child throwing a tantrum won't fix it. Then, if/when they actually calm down, I explain how we can actually respond to the error, and get it corrected. Usually by then they are way more relaxed and easier to work with.

I don't specifically use the phrase "only human" that I am aware? I might phrase it that way now and then, but I don't use it in regards to myself, but when explaining why something was wrong to others.

 

[The_Great_Galendo]

So many saying "absolutely not". I'd say it depends on the circumstances. There are certainly things where making a mistake is only human, and will remain so. Some examples are:
1) Math problems. Seriously, if there's any way to consistently do these without error, I'd love to hear it.
2) Computer programming. If you've ever had a program compile and run correctly the first time, I'm guessing it was well under a hundred lines of code.
3) Driving. I bet most people will be in multiple accidents over the course of their life. Dunno what the average is, but I'll bet it's at least one or two per decade of driving.

In short, there are plenty of activities in which "I'm only human" is an acceptable excuse. If the activity's one in which an appropriate computer might be expected to perform flawlessly, for instance, it's a perfectly reasonable excuse.

 

[Catrixa]

I don't think it's an excuse so much as it is a plea for understanding. Mistakes are things that all humans do a lot, but sometimes it seems people don't really put themselves in other people's shoes. ?We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behaviour,? --Stephen M.R. Covey. I can't really comment on a situation I don't know, but have you ever asked why someone might make the same mistake over and over; trying to desperately flee from judgement by the phrase "I'm only human"? Have they ever tried to explain what they were thinking, only to have it dismissed as stupid (it doesn't even have to be by you)? Perhaps they realize they're bad at the thing producing the mistakes (bad at money management, time management, whatever it is), are trying to get better, but aren't moving at a pace that's satisfactory to someone else. This would lead them to try to diffuse the common criticisms they keep coming across ("look, get off my back on this, I'm only human"). Then again, for all I know, they might not think it's a mistake and just want people to stop telling them it is (even if it's actually really awful--people can be stubborn AND dumb).

 

[Lightknight]

I'd say that if it's a mistake born out of addiction that using your status as an organic lifeform susceptible to such addiction is valid.

But the "I'm only human" is deflection. It is never valid except when being blamed for not being perfect or superhuman. I'm only human then, sounds a lot more like "not my fault" because that's what it is.

 

[NiPah]

Hmm never once had someone say that to me, isn't it normally reserved as a more polite way of saying "stop bitching me out, I made a mistake and I know it".

 

[The Bucket]

Like most things; context is important. Everyone makes mistakes, but not all mistakes are equal

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Being "only human" means having the capacity to learn from mistakes (like, you know, most higher forms of life on the planet). If you are incapable of doing so, you may be mentally damaged; if you simply choose not to, then whatever befalls you is entirely your fault.

 

[cleric of the order]

I was raised in an ironically existential and excuse heavy family.
I'm only human was not a common one, because it suggest a lack of agency or control over the matter.
I was given "let's move on", "It's over, move on" or something pointing towards the future.
However that was not often the case, my family notorious for being repeat offenders, at best my attempts to break down or provide insight to the event was bushed aside in favor of more moving on.
These sorts of things are the sign of a complex or just that the person is not ready to move along the path necessary, it takes a good deal of time and mental digestion to truly prepare a damaged, ego or normal for that matter person to ascend past repeated behavior.
It is then good to ask what are they trying to repeat in their actions, why are they doing it, why is this necessary. and ask them to think about it.
Don't force them to, just provide the necessary insight, have them ask the question in themselves but never force. They will move in time if you only give them that.
Sometimes you will have to leave them, to damn them to the winds to force them to be the reluctant hero no longer and to drive themselves forth.
Also It's good to note that the, only human statement seems to be a statement of conflicting with perfection, the person may view your demands as superhuman and wish to lower the standard. Just something to keep in mind, more often then not the person wants change but is unable to push forward and resolve the it problem in question

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

If I heard someone who's fucked up multiple times the same way use that phrase as a defense, I'd immediately ask "Are you stupid too?"

Humanity's greatest asset over the rest of creation is our adaptability. The ability to change according to our surrounding environment and current set of circumistances. That includes learning from your mistakes. So no.

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

It's a bad excuse for anything. You are human, but that's exactly why fault is being put on you. There is no other creature on this planet held to be morally blameworthy for bad deeds. Being human is exactly what makes your actions worth judging, not some strange quality that absolves you of them.