Why writers and editors make simple, preventable mistakes

As a professional writer and editor, I create content for others to read in print and online. And though I strive for perfection in everything I produce, I am far from perfect, and my mistakes are out in the open for all to see.

As a writer, I accept this. As an editor, the kick in the head is that no matter how hard I try—proofreading backward and forward, fact checking, checking sources, etc.—simple, preventable errors still occur.

Reasons for errors include relying on old knowledge, making assumptions, narrowly focusing on one thing and missing what’s next to it. Errors that are obvious to others can be invisible to us, no matter how hard we try to spot them.

According to Joseph T. Hallinan, author of the book “Why We Make Mistakes,” humans have design flaws that set us up for mistakes. The same qualities that make us efficient also make us error prone. We learn to move rapidly through the world, quickly recognizing patterns but overlooking details.

“We are subconsciously biased, quick to judge by appearances, and overconfident in our own abilities,” Hallinan writes.