ADMIT YOUR MISTAKES
There’s a common, yet often unspoken, misconception that being wrong about anything makes you weak, makes you stupid, etc.
Our pride makes us defensive when we find out that some prediction we made or some belief we held was incorrect. Sometimes, even when faced with indisputable evidence, we can deny the hell out of it as if not believing the evidence makes it untrue. Yet, much like closing our eyes doesn’t make the world disappear, denying the truth doesn’t make us any less wrong.
So where’s the habit here?
It’s simple. Admit your mistakes, big or small, even if only to yourself. Learn to be ok with being wrong. If you ever notice something that feels a little like doubt, that’s your cue to check the facts, look inward, and ask: Am I just wrong on this? If the answer is yes, take a few deep breaths, lower your blood pressure, and say “Ok. I’m wrong.” That’s all it takes. Just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Why should I even bother admitting when I’m wrong? Why can’t I just bury that shit deep within my soul and forget it ever happened?
No one should have to bear the weight of being right all the time. No one is perfect. As soon as you realize that you’re not perfect either, you can let go of that pressure and focus on ways to simply be good enough. The greatest men & women who ever lived were no more perfect than you. I’m nowhere near perfect and never will be, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try to be better.
I get it. It sucks to be wrong. It shouldn’t. You are no less of a person, no less of a man or woman, no less intelligent, no less good just because your answer to a question or your belief in something was incorrect. Carry that with you. Know that. You are just as good when you’re wrong as when you’re right if you’re willing to accept the truth and learn from it. Doing so makes you even more incredible and beautiful than you are now. You rise above basic thinking and become something else, something powerful. That’s exactly how we became civilized as a species; we searched for answers and grew beyond what we knew.
Own your mistakes. Admit them, relish them, and grow from them.
When you’re wrong, be wrong. When you’re right, make sure you’re truly right and not blindly or stubbornly sticking to a preconceived bias, and let those mistakes make you a better person.
We never learn from our successes. We only learn from our mistakes.
