Tiny Misadventures -

These moments do not ruin our lives, but they do interrupt them. And if we are wise, we don’t just endure them—we collect them. Why do we remember the time we slipped on a wet floor in a grocery store (and made eye contact with a stranger) more vividly than the 500 uneventful trips to the store that preceded it?

Psychologists call this the . In the 1960s, researcher Elliot Aronson discovered that people who are competent but commit a minor blunder are actually rated as more likable than those who are perfect. The tiny misadventure humanizes us. It cracks the shell of perfection and lets the messy, gooey, relatable inside leak out. tiny misadventures

But when you embrace tiny misadventures, you stop trying to be the hero. You become the comic relief . And the comic relief has the most fun. The comic relief gets to eat the burnt cake. The comic relief gets to dance when the music plays by accident. The comic relief doesn't have a legacy to protect. How do you handle a tiny misadventure when it is happening right now , in front of an audience? These moments do not ruin our lives, but

A tiny misadventure is a story with a punchline. "I spilled my coffee directly into my purse, and now my wallet smells like a caramel latte for the rest of eternity." (Better. Relatable. Visual.) Psychologists call this the