I am a fan of The Great British Baking Show. Each season, 12 people are selected to compete against eachother, and then each show, one is sent home based on their performance on 3 bakes.

At the end of each show, you see the people who screwed up on something bracing themselves to be sent home. The thing is, often the people who appear worried about being sent home are very clearly not going home.

Now, they may be acting, but I suspect there is some truth to their emotions. I also think that it demonstrates how much worse things appear in our own mind.

Each person who screwed up on something feels the pain of their error so incredibly deeply, and it makes it difficult for them to see that actually, this other person, did poorly throughout the whole weekend. That other person(s) is far more likely to go home than they are.

In our own lives, even when not competing directly with others, we probably do the same thing. Our errors feel greater internally than they appear from the outside.

It is worth recognizing when we screw up, but it’s also wise not to be paralyzed by it.