What is the difference between a failure and a mistake?

I really love these definitions by Seth Godin.  I think that confusion about teh difference between failures and mistakes make many managers in library land slow down the processs of innovation and the progress of libraries in adapting to changes in the environment and technology.  Our natural risk aversion – which seems a little higher in library culture – might benefit from using and understanding and discussing these definitions:

The difference between a failure and a mistake

via Seth’s Blog by Seth Godin on 18/12/11

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/12/the-difference-between-a-failure-and-a-mistake.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fsethsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29

“A failure is a project that doesn’t work, an initiative that teaches you something at the same time the outcome doesn’t move you directly closer to your goal.

A mistake is either a failure repeated, doing something for the second time when you should have known better, or a misguided attempt (because of carelessness, selfishness or hubris) that hindsight reminds you is worth avoiding.

We need a lot more failures, I think. Failures that don’t kill us make us bolder, and teach us one more way that won’t work, while opening the door to things that might.”

Stephen