On Being Willing to Be Wrong

It’s political season, and this season gets me thinking about a lot of things. Namely, how unwilling people are to be wrong. We don’t want to be wrong about our political choices, our religious beliefs, even the careers we choose or people we surround ourselves with. Sometimes, though, we are wrong. And some of us, rather than admit it, we continue to beat down the same old words, the same old paths, without really giving it much more thought than that. Instead of saying “I was wrong, I know better now,” many of us instead say “I know I’m right, I’ve always been right, I will always be right,” and we dig in our heels. 

But what if, instead of digging in heels and insisting upon the notion that our way is the right way – and therefore the ONLY way – we instead involved ourselves in a discourse. Maybe it’s the philosopher/idealist in me, but I believe that the purpose of debates shouldn’t be to prove to the other person that you are right, but to add new information to the discussion that may not have previously been known. And sometimes, that information reveals that we were, in fact wrong.

It’s when we cling to this notion of “right” that we wind up the most hurt, the most unable to move on from our bad decisions. It’s when our egos experience the greatest bruises, and our view becomes blocked from being able to see the truth. Sometimes we’re wrong, and we’ve been wrong for quite some time. Sometimes we become so attached to an unwillingness to admit this, we then are unable to grow and move forward into the next stage that life has for us. 

This strict adherence also makes it so that our ears are closed to new ideas. Just think about the folks back when Newton or Galileo were running around who chose not to hear scientific theories because they knew that their way, the way that things had been done for centuries, was the “right way.” The problem with this type of thinking is that our contemporary world is moving fast! There are always new scientific and pseudo-scientific tidbits being thrown at us, and we’re inundated with a sea of information to weed through. Sometimes, it’s easier to pass along a meme than it is to fact-check, track down sources, and admit that our initial thinking was “wrong.” 

Add this dislike of the possibility of being misguided to any debate, and suddenly egos are hurt, tempers flare, and words are said. Imagine, if instead of being so committed to the various “facts” we take for granted we went into the day, willing to be wrong. How much more would be accomplished? How much more productive would we be? How much more open would we be to new ways of doing things, or better ways of doing things, or new scientific theories? If we get rid of the idea of “right” but instead look at things from a more pragmatic position, how different would our world look right now?

So as you sit and follow debates, and sort through your Facebook feed, ask yourself whether you believe someone has gone into his or her day thinking “I hereby arm myself with coffee (or tea, or water, or green juice, or….) and the willingness to be wrong.” Ask yourself whether you, yourself, have given yourself permission to mess up, make a mistake, or admit you were wrong about something, someone, or some idea. When we start to open ourselves up to the possibility of being wrong, we start opening ourselves up, equally, to the possibility to be more successful, more intelligent, and worldlier. 

When did you last admit you were wrong? Were you okay with it? Please post your thoughts in the comments.