Being right used to be really important to me. I don't know why. I just always had to be right.
If someone else was wrong, it was my job to set them straight. If there was a debate, I had to get on the right side of the issue and "win".
If you told me I was wrong about something that I was certain of, I got flustered and angry, I made it personal, and I held a grudge. It wasn't about facts. It was about my pride and ego.
Do you have to be right? Why? What are you trying to achieve? Do you have influence with your colleagues, kids, and friends because you're always right? Probably not. They're more likely waiting to catch you in a mistake, call you out, and watch you squirm.
Next time you're tempted to tell someone they're wrong and you're right, just say (and mean),
"You may be right. I've been wrong about this kind of thing before."
Try it. It's liberating. And, you might be surprised how often you find common ground.
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