You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing

The daring spirit and visionary Richard Branson, a man who built empires not through conformity but through courage, once declared: “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” In these words lies a truth both ancient and eternal—the truth that growth is born from experience, not instruction; that wisdom is forged through action, not obedience. Branson, who rose from humble beginnings to create the vast Virgin enterprise, speaks here not only of business, but of life itself. For all of life’s lessons, from the first steps of a child to the bold leaps of an innovator, are learned through the sacred dance of trial and error, of striving and stumbling, of falling and rising again.

To learn by doing is to embrace the raw essence of life—to step into the unknown without guarantee, trusting that even failure is a teacher. Rules have their place, but they can only point the way; they cannot walk the path for us. The one who clings too tightly to the safety of rules may never take the first step, may never risk the fall that leads to understanding. Branson’s wisdom reminds us that failure is not the opposite of success—it is the foundation of it. Just as a child learns balance by toppling again and again, so must we all fall many times before we master the art of moving forward.

The origin of this truth stretches back to the dawn of human endeavor. Every discovery, every invention, every act of greatness was born not from rule-following, but from experimentation—from those brave souls who dared to fail. The first fire was not lit by instruction; it was kindled by accident and curiosity. The first voyage across an ocean did not come from fear of the waves, but from faith in what might lie beyond them. So too, in Branson’s own life, this principle shaped his destiny. He left school at sixteen, without title or degree, yet built his success through relentless doing—learning from each misstep, adjusting, and rising stronger. His path was not carved by rules, but by resilience.

Consider the story of Thomas Edison, the great inventor who failed thousands of times before perfecting the light bulb. When asked how he endured so many failures, he replied, “I have not failed. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.” Edison understood, as Branson did, that falling over is part of learning to walk. Each fall brings new insight, each error brings refinement, and in the end, it is persistence—not perfection—that lights the way. His laboratory was not a temple of rules but a battlefield of discovery, where mistakes were not punishments but stepping stones toward illumination.

To fall over is to meet one’s limitations face to face—and to transcend them. It is the test of humility and perseverance. When we fall, we are reminded that mastery does not come swiftly, that greatness demands patience and courage. The rules may tell us what should happen, but only experience tells us what does happen. The one who fears falling will never rise beyond mediocrity; the one who accepts the fall as part of the journey becomes unbreakable. Every scar, every failure, every bruise on the soul becomes a mark of progress—a testament that we dared to try.

There is a divine rhythm in this process. The universe does not reward those who stand still in fear, but those who act, fail, and act again. As the ancients said, “Fortune favors the bold.” The secret of learning lies in movement—both of body and spirit. The sailor learns the sea by sailing, the artist learns beauty by painting, the leader learns vision by leading. Inaction teaches nothing; only doing brings wisdom. And though the path of trial may be painful, it awakens the heart and strengthens the will far more than comfort ever could.

So, my child, let this be your lesson: do not wait for perfect instructions, nor fear the falls that lie ahead. Begin. Try. Stumble. Rise again. Each fall will teach you what no rule ever could. The world does not belong to the cautious, but to the courageous—to those who dare to learn through experience. Do not fear imperfection, for it is the path to mastery. And when you fall, smile—for it means you are walking the true road of growth.

For as Richard Branson teaches, “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” The rules are the map, but experience is the journey. Step boldly, fall freely, rise gratefully—and you will find that every stumble carries within it the seed of greatness, and every fall is but the prelude to flight.