You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day.

I'm your host, Elise Hugh.

We are continuing to share a handful of talks, conversations, and podcast episodes from the TED Archive that we hope will spark some

inspiration in all of us as we think about the end of the year. For me, the new year is always a time

where I think back on some past mistakes, the hopes I had for the year that was and what panned out

and what didn't. It's an interesting question of what might be different next year.

And it's always a slightly annoying, if slightly necessary, cycle of emotions to go through.

So to have a little fun with these very real human topics, we're doing something different.

We are bringing you three beloved TED ed lessons adapted for podcasts to help us think

through this cycle of reflection and maybe prompt some action. We start with how to lovingly

overcome our mistakes. People often describe failure as a teachable moment, a necessary stumble

on our way to improvement.

But learning from our mistakes isn't always easy,

especially when those failures are demoralizing or overwhelming.

So what prevents us from turning our mistakes into mastery?

Music In a 2019 study, over 400 participants were enlisted to learn a mysterious, invented language.

Individuals were asked about three pairs of runes.

For example, which of these two characters represents an animal?

Then, after a brief break, they were asked about the same rune pairs, with questions flipped.

As in, which of these two runes represents a non-living object.

But this game had a secret.

The subject's answers in round one determine the run's meanings in round two.

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