Can we recover from making bad choices?  Absolutely!  The fact is that we are human and therefore we are not perfect.  Our choices have consequences and as a result, we are ultimately liable.  The unfortunate part of making bad or poor choices, is that you will repeat them again until you learn the lesson.  Patience can be tough if you find yourself going around the same mountain again and you say to yourself, I have been down this road before.  That is the opportunity that lies in making poor decisions, in that you are allowed to vindicate yourself and hopefully make better one's instead.  For those of us that have gone down a bad road before, we then should also make ourselves accountable for helping others before they head in the wrong path.  We can learn a lot from what we did not do so well and hope to do better as time goes on.  I heard a very powerful statement yesterday in watching a documentary yesterday from Dr. Marta Moreno Vega who was paraphrasing her mother, "Never forget to see your reflection in someone else".  We are all human beings and our ability to see ourselves in others is what could keep us accountable to each other.