It’s Perfectly OK to be Wrong, but...
I believe that one of the greatest powers I possess is the ability to admit when I’m wrong. Unfortunately, in this day and age, being able to say, "I was wrong about that," appears to be a superpower few possess. I’m not trying to be braggadocious or elevate myself by saying that; I’m sure most of you have this ability as well. Whether it be pride, fear of loss, or potential damage to one’s reputation, we don’t live in an age in which the three words "I am wrong" are commonly used back-to-back in the same sentence.
Consider being afraid to admit you were wrong about something because it could "damage your reputation." When you understand the implication of that belief, you realize that those who would think less of you are only interested in having their biases confirmed by your opinion. They are not interested in learning and/or improving. That should speak more to their reputation than yours. Not allowing yourself to be wrong for fear of others' opinions of you means you are not being true to yourself or your own intellect. I believe that "fear of loss" plays into this as well, especially if you are a person who is reliant upon your income coming from those interested in having their biases confirmed.
For someone who is an "influencer" (an awful term, but one known to many), possessing the wrong opinion on a matter, especially one that may cause those you are influencing to act or be inactive in relation to faulty information you are sharing (even inadvertently), should be a major concern and one that should worry you. People taking action in their personal or professional lives based upon the subjects I write about or discuss on a podcast is a concern of mine. I want the best for all of you, so I do everything I can to present the most truthful information I can. And if it’s just my opinion, I make sure you know that.
In my mind, I can accept people being wrong if they are being honest and not manipulating information. There were things I believed in the past that I later discovered were wrong, but I was sincere in those beliefs. There is a good chance there are some issues about which I may still be wrong, but I know that if along my journey I am proven wrong, I will admit my errors and adjust my thinking. Please know that while I may be wrong, I will never lie to you. Being honest is the most important thing when it comes to anyone who is a leader, teacher, or "influencer." And a component of being honest is the ability to admit when you are wrong.
Imagine what we could accomplish if, by default, more people admitted when they were wrong, fixed what needed to be fixed, and shared that process with others. Think of the dragons we could slay. Think how easy it would be to recognize our enemies and take advantage of their weaknesses. How easy it would be to defeat them?
I have a theory about this: I think schooling does this to people. The stakes for being wrong in a classroom are public humiliation in front of your peers at the hands of a substitute parental figure. That shit burns deep, especially for midwits who build their whole identity around academic achievement.
For them, any kind of face-saving tactical retreat or misdirection is better than the gut-wrenching shame of being wrong. Public midwits do this all the time (won't name names, but I'm sure you can come up with a long list).
Normal well adjusted people don't have a problem with admitting they're wrong, because being right about everything all the time isn't _their thing_ in the first place.
Well said. Truth and intellectual honesty are probably my highest values. We all make mistakes, intellectual or otherwise, and it is extremely valuable to just admit it and move on. I'm pretty good about admitting my mistakes too, but ironically, I think neither of us makes as serious or as many mistakes as most people.