It Is Okay To Be Wrong

Impossible, I am never wrong, everything that I speak is nothing but truth and facts.

I hear you; this is something that I have trouble with too, but let’s look at it another way.

It is safe to say that no one likes to admit they were wrong, they feel as if they will lose credibility or to put it plainly will look stupid, but here is what happens when you admit you’re wrong.

A: I had a look further into what you said, and Apple does start with an A.

B: Oh really? I really was convinced it had a silent V at the start. Ah well, I guess you learn something new every day.

A: You really do.

That is all. If you have made a mistake, or you have gained more knowledge since the last time you stated a fact then it makes sense that you would be wrong at that time. You make statements based on the information that you have at the time and things change.

For the longest time, people thought the earth was flat and the sun rotated around us, they were wrong, but that is only because they had limited information at the time. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they were stupid or incompetent, they just didn’t know the facts or had the means to find out the facts.

Whilst yes if you make a mistake, it can be turned into a joke and that can increase the fear of being wrong, but surely it is better to learn and adapt, than to remain stubborn.

Whilst the example above was a bit extreme, it is important to remember it is not just around the hard facts where you can be right and wrong. Let’s take something that can be a bit more subjective, people. You may think that a person is horrible, stuck up, they think highly of themselves, and have no time for anyone else. Through circumstance, you spend more time with this person, and you learn that there is another deeper, compassionate side to them. From this, you realise that your initial idea of what they are like was wrong and actually, there is more to them than what you initially thought.

So, how do we deal with being told we’re wrong when we are wrong?

Personally, I love it when people prove me wrong, my initial response is being filled with embarrassment, but that is natural, however, upon reflection, I find that being wrong is just an opportunity for me to learn more and gain more insight.

In my personal opinion, this is the best way of dealing with realising that you are wrong. Take it in, understand what is right, and then adapt, learn, and move forward. If you do that, guess who is going to call you out or make it a big thing? That’s right, no one. In fact, you tend to find that people have a lot of admiration for those who can admit they’re wrong and move on.

No one is going to be right 100% of the time, we are all learning in this vast confusing world of ours. So remember, the next time you start feeling agitated or embarrassed about being told you're wrong, take a step and consider the thought, maybe I am. Then remind yourself, it is okay to be wrong.