One makes mistakes; that is life. But it is never a mistake to

Romain Rolland, the French writer and Nobel laureate, once declared with the wisdom of one who had seen the tragedies and triumphs of the human spirit: “One makes mistakes; that is life. But it is never a mistake to have loved.” In this utterance lies a truth that pierces beyond the confusion of regret. For in life, all men and women stumble. They choose wrongly, they fail, they lose, they wound, and are wounded in return. This is the common lot of humankind. Yet among all these errors, there is one thing that can never be counted as failure: the act of loving. To love, even when it ends in sorrow, is never wasted, for love itself enriches the soul.

The ancients themselves knew this. In the tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles, kings and queens fell by their flaws, but the love they bore—even when it led to ruin—remained their most human and noble act. Love may wound, yes, but it also awakens the heart to its highest truth. Rolland’s words remind us that though all else may be counted as error, to have loved is always gain. For it is love that makes us more than dust, more than beasts—it makes us truly alive.

Consider the story of Vincent van Gogh. By the world’s measure, his life was filled with mistakes: poverty, rejection, and despair. He died thinking himself a failure. Yet in his letters and paintings burns a profound love—for beauty, for nature, for humanity in its sorrow. Though his life stumbled from defeat to defeat, that love infused his work with light that still illuminates millions. Was his life a mistake? No, for it was filled with love, and that love was immortal.

Rolland’s words also speak to the fear many carry: the fear of having loved in vain. Hearts broken, dreams lost, relationships shattered—these make us wonder if love was wasted. But the truth is this: every act of love, even if it ends in loss, leaves the soul larger, deeper, and stronger. To close the heart for fear of mistakes is the greater tragedy. For though one may avoid pain, one also avoids life itself. Love is never a mistake, because it is the very essence of what it means to live.

Think also of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. She endured hardship, betrayal, and criticism, yet her heart remained devoted to the cause of human dignity. She loved humanity even when it scorned her, and from that love came movements for justice and equality that still bear fruit today. She made mistakes, yes, as all mortals do. But in her love, she touched countless lives, and through that love her legacy endures.

To make mistakes is inevitable. No life is free of them. But to love is a choice, one that lifts us above the mire of error. It may lead to heartbreak, it may lead to sacrifice, but it also leads to meaning. A life of caution, without love, may appear safe, but it is hollow. A life of love, even filled with error, is radiant, because every heartbeat spent in love is eternal.

The lesson, then, is clear: Do not fear mistakes, for they will come. Fear instead the absence of love, for that is the true emptiness. Choose love boldly—in friendship, in family, in passion, in service to others. And when love wounds you, do not count it wasted, for even the wound testifies to the greatness of your heart.

Practical action follows: each day, seek one way to love—speak a word of kindness, show gratitude, forgive an old hurt, give of yourself to another. Do not let fear of rejection or failure stop you, for as Rolland teaches, love is never a mistake. Let your life be filled with many errors if it must, but let it also be filled with love, for love alone redeems every failure and makes life worth the living.