From "Hagakure", a book about Japanese samurai life written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo in the early 1700's:

When I was young, I kept a "Diary of Regret" and tried to record my mistakes day by day, but there was never a day I did not have twenty or thirty entries. As there was no end to it, I gave up. Even today, when I think about the day's affairs after going to bed, there is never a day when I do not make some blunder in speaking or some activity. living without mistakes is truly impossible. But this is something that people who live by cleverness have no inclination to think about.

(as translated by William Scott Wilson; cf. DearDiary, Diary Habit, ...) - ^z - 2011-10-15