"Had my mistakes been not to run toward them?"

It's a question he's asking himself.

He's wondering whether his decision to "not run towards them" was a mistake.

I don't know the context but I would imagine that when he decided not to run towards them it was seen as the correct decision, but now, with the passing of time, he's reevalating/ questioning that decision.

Yes, he's wondering if he shouldn't have met or faced the arguments head on instead of avoiding them.

Thank you for your help

You're welcome, not everyone has the good grace to say thank you.

You will never learn from your mistakes if you don't make mistakes.

This is a question about language.

What you perceive the message of the sentence to be is neither here nor there.

Your response is not at all helpful because it has nothing to do with the sentence itself. It doesn't help, it just muddies the waters.

Reword it: had it been my mistakes not to run towards them.

Sometimes you need to reword other people's words to sense them out.

Indeed, he's contemplating whether it might have been more beneficial to confront or address the arguments directly rather than avoiding them.

The second sentence, "Had my mistakes been not to run toward them?" is phrased in a somewhat complex way. It's a rhetorical question, and the author is reflecting on whether their past mistakes were related to avoiding arguments rather than facing them.

In simpler terms, they are questioning whether avoiding arguments was a mistake on their part. The sentence suggests self-reflection and doubt about their past choices.