"Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's"

Billy Wilder’s advice centers on the idea of personal authenticity and the value of independent thinking. Trusting one’s own instinct implies prioritizing personal judgment and intuition, even in the face of external pressures or conventional wisdom. Mistakes are an inevitable part of decision-making and learning, but their impact on personal growth is tied to ownership. If errors are made because of one’s own choices, there is a deeper understanding to be gained; the responsibility, satisfaction, and lessons are truly personal. In contrast, following someone else’s advice and failing can lead to resentment or a sense of lost agency, missing out on genuine self-development.

Wilder emphasizes courage in confronting the fear of being wrong. In creative pursuits as well as life decisions, the risk of misjudgment can be paralyzing, especially when surrounded by opinions and expectations from others, be they peers, mentors, or societal norms. However, true growth requires followers of their own reason and perception, because it is only through individual trial and error that someone can discover what works uniquely for them. Even when mistakes occur, their ownership empowers learning, resilience, and adaptability. It is far more instructive and rewarding to analyze and understand one’s own missteps than to ponder what went wrong while following a prescribed path.

There is also an embedded encouragement to resist conformity for the sake of convenience. The path of independent action could lead to greater innovation, satisfaction, and even success. At worst, one acquires personal experience; at best, one might discover something new and valuable precisely because the road was untraveled. Ultimately, Wilder’s words serve as a reminder that self-trust, though risky, offers a more authentic and meaningful journey, and that even failures are best when they are truly one’s own, as each becomes a stepping stone toward greater wisdom and individuality.