I think it can be very tough to admit when we are wrong. In childhood and adolescence I was particularly bad at admitting when I was wrong. Especially when I knew I was wrong. It always seemed like a slight to my character. How could I (a person who is so careful and precise (this was my own opinion of course)) have been wrong about something so obvious. As I became more mature I would like to think that I have gotten better.
Well at the very least I believe that my reactions to be being wrong has improved. In truth some part of me still cringes at the thought of being wrong. But one thing that has helped quell that little voice in me is a shift in mindset towards gaining knowledge rather than losing credibility. The only person who beats me up and remembers even the tiniest mistakes(years after it happening) is myself.
Your credibility is not scarred by being wrong. That would be unfair. It’s what you do with that knowledge that makes the difference. Do you dig in your heels and try defend your honor come hell or high water? Do you blindly accept the knowledge given to you? Do you verify and update your stance based on new information?
I don’t know what the exact right way of dealing with this is. There’s such a wealth of information that it’s hard to even know what is fact and what is fiction. Verify as much as you can and try to be ok with the fact that you might be wrong. You might be influenced by something you read that is only partially true or even completely false. It doesn’t make you simple minded. It’s just really hard at this stage of human civilization.
After all these years of being alive(30 of them to date) I’ve come to realize that being wrong is not scary. I long for the day when someone can change opinions I’ve held dear. I even seek out this information. And I embrace the discomfort of being wrong.
