My Dad told me that I should learn from my mistakes, but that it would be a whole lot easier to learn from other folks mistakes.
I wish that I had heeded that advice when it came to my ears. I shot 10's of thousands of .22's as a kid and teenager without any hearing protection, I was exposed to small arms, armor, and artillery fire with minimal hearing protection, and I now have constant tinnitus, lousy hearing, and hearing aids are a pain in the backside but the only thing that keeps my marriage going.
So, do yourself a favor, and learn from my mistakes.