I had not been ringing very long but was very keen. At a  branch practice I attempted to ring a heavier bell than I was used to in a method. I didn't completely mess up but it certainly left lots of room for improvement. Afterwards a few of the "kindly" men present said things like "that was a bit too big for you". I felt a bit embarrassed and decided I would stick to the light bells. That was until later in the same practice when a man who was also fairly inexperienced rang it and made a complete mess of it. The eye opener for me was the comments he received: "well done - a few more goes and you'll have it" and "have another try later - nearly there".  It was a defining moment for me. It encouraged me to seek out practices where wanting to improve was encouraged and I now ring with incredibly supportive men and women.