John Grueber
“Strong ideas loosely held. That’s the path to success.”
Have you ever been wrong?
I have. I was probably wrong several times today and I will probably be wrong tomorrow.
Do you have a friend or family member who always has to be right?
Aggravating isn’t it.
Think of the most insignificant thing you have ever gotten into an argument about?
Part of the problem with our society today is the ever growing epidemic of “never wrong”
People dig in over little things, not worrying about the harm to relationships it causes.
What if?
What if scientist never admitted that they were wrong about getting a man to the moon?
What if doctors never admitted they were wrong about the germ theory?
What if Coke never admitted that the New Coke formulation was a bad idea?
Some of the biggest progress in our society has come from intelligent people saying they were wrong.
We are all entitled to our own beliefs, but when faced with overwhelming evidence to the contrary a rational person concedes that maybe they were wrong.
The quickest way to end an argument is to admit you were wrong.
It Doesn’t Matter
I’m
not saying you bend on your fundamental beliefs or ethical stances, but a
majority of the stuff we double down on doesn’t really matter.
Before you go all in on argument ask yourself a simple question:
Does it really matter?
Is it worth losing a friendship debating if whether Seinfeld or The Office was the superior tv show? (Clearly it was Seinfeld so that really is not a debate)
Our local news ran a story about a shooting that erupted over an argument whether Ford or Chevy was the superior car brand. Someone could have died arguing over a car and someone else is going to jail for it. Crazy!
In five years will you really care what you were so afraid to be wrong about.
Strong Beliefs, Loosely Held
That’s the secret.
Be willing to admit you were wrong.
Be willing to concede minor points, even if you feel like you are right.
The social capital you get from being agreeable is far more valuable than being seen as someone who always needs to be right.
Nobody likes a know it all, it was true in grade school and it remains true in life.
We are all human
We are all going to be wrong at times. It’s okay.
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds”
Emerson