There will come a time in life when things don’t go as planned or don’t go the way you had hoped. This is reality. There are times when you are on the winning end and there are times when you are on the losing end. When things don’t go according to what you planned, you have to be mature, stand up and face the music. If you’ve made some mistakes in your life, face those mistakes and make it right. Learn from them and try not to do it again.
Everybody makes mistakes but not everyone is willing to admit their mistake or even say that they were wrong. It really takes guts and humility to admit that you are wrong and to say sorry, but admitting your mistake and taking responsibility for it is more important than anything else.
How can you not accept his sorry. Image courtesy of likes.com
Most people want to know when it is ok to admit your mistake or say that you are wrong? The answe is simple; whenever you know that you are wrong. Many may think that admitting you are wrong or admitting defeat is a sign of weakness. Saying sorry or admitting defeat does not make you weak, it makes you stronger. It takes a strong character to do it well. Admitting you’re wrong makes you a more honorable person. Of course, no person ever wants to lose or feel like a loser. For instance, some men may feel emasculated if they accept defeat, but one should not be afraid of acknowledging defeat. Any real man with a sense of responsibility and control will stand up tall and accept responsibility.
In The Business World
In the world of business, admitting defeat or admitting that someone has committed a mistake is a sign of weakness or ineptness. There is a danger in this belief specifically when it is held by powerful people who wield authority. This belief will surely back a leader in power by defending their poor decisions and choices even if they have come to realize that they are wrong. This will result in leaders falsely blaming others to cover their incompetence to prove that they are right. They do this to save face or to prove that they are worthy of their position or power or to retain respect for their so called intelligence. But in truth, these types of people accomplish nothing.
Missing the point. Image courtesy of dilbert.com
Any keen-eyed employee in any organization can recognize when mistakes are made and they will also recognize when a manager or a leader is covering up his mistakes. If this happens, these employees will lose trust, respect and confidence in their manger or leader and in most cases, these employees will surely get out of this business environment and will find a better organization or company to work for.
Within Family And Other Relationships
It is a puzzle why so many around the world believe that saying sorry or saying that you are wrong will make you weak. Let me provide one example. When I was in college, my mom and dad had a heated argument about something. There was no denying that my dad was trying to persuade my mom to agree with him and prove that he was the correct one. From what I’d heard from my room, my dad was right on the bat and his reasons are correct, but it was the manner in which he handled the argument that was really not effective. Actually, I was turned off by it and thought of getting in between my parents just to stop the argument. The way he handled it was a bit degrading and hurtful. I was ready to jump in and defend my mom even though I knew dad was right, but I tried not to interfere because I knew that the argument would not last an hour. Sure enough, after 3o minutes, my dad went out of their room, drank a glass of water and went back to my mom and apologized. He said that he was wrong and he said sorry. I have always respected my dad, but after that argument with my mom, my respect for him grew bigger. My dad has always been the authority in the house and to admit the he was wrong made him more respectable and honorable in my eyes. He did not justify his actions and he simply said sorry. Seeing his behavior had a big impact on me because I was able to see him as just a person, a person of authority with great fortitude with willingness, honesty and humility in admitting his mistake. But again, you have to take note that admitting you are wrong or sorry is not weakness. Some people will also differentiate accepting defeat and admitting defeat.
The Difference Between Admitting Defeat And Accepting Defeat
In military tactics, there is something called a calculated retreat. This does not mean that you’re waving the white flag of surrender, but going back to camp to check on your resources and to regroup to do battle another day. Under no circumstances does this mean you should accept defeat. May dad and many experienced people I’ve talked to told me that this is the mentality that separates the winners from the losers. To swallow your pride after taking one hit and saying that you’ve made a mistake will do more for you in the long run. Even the most successful people have made mistakes in their life. They have become what they are because they learned from their mistakes and never made those mistakes again. If you have the right attitude losing can make you a better, stronger and smarter person because you were able to handle it and rise from it.
Have the balls to admit defeat. Image courtesy of http://www.troll.me/
How To Deal With Defeat
There are many ways of dealing with defeat and admitting your mistakes. Below are some sure ways of making everything right, rising after falling and gaining the respect of your loved one, friends or co-workers.
1. Learn From Your Mistakes
Mistakes are like battle scars. They shape you into a better person. Don’t not forget why you lost and determine exactly how you lost. Analyze everything about it. This will keep you focused and sharp if you ever encounter the same adversary.
It can be hard to accept defeat but we have to move on. Image courtesy of http://www.wikihow.com/
2. If You Know You Are On The Losing End, Lose with Style
If you know you’re going to lose, lose with style and dignity. This will command respect and honor. Acknowledging another person’s achievements will show class, even if that person is pitted against you. Showing humility and class will result in getting respect. Respect will then lead you to success.
3. Make Losing An Inspiration
No one wants to lose. If you look at successful businessmen and athletes, most of them hate losing. Losing makes them sick. If you want to win, you have to learn to make losing an inspiration. Learn to hate losing and every time you lose, do whatever it takes to etch that horrible feeling in your head. Make that experience the spark and the fire in your heart, your gut and in your head. This will drive you to win every time (but don’t become an ass just for the sake of winning).
4. No Excuses
Do not make excuses. Blaming others for your mistakes is always a bad idea. Own up your mistakes and be a man or a strong woman.
5. Do Not Sulk
Sulking and crying to yourself in a corner is not productive. It can be disappointing to lose sometimes. You cannot but be sad or angry, however, do not dwell on negative thoughts. Stand up, dry up your tears and promise yourself that you will do better next time.
6. Accept With Humility
Whenever you make a mistake, acknowledge everyone that you might have harmed or hurt in the process. This will show you are sincere about your actions and is a way of telling them that you value their feelings.
Admitting mistakes makes a person more respectable. It really takes guts to admit your mistakes. Saying sorry is not a hard thing to do and doing it will go a long way.
Originally published at xenlife.com.au on August 25, 2014.
