Poll: Can You Admit When You Are Wrong?

[Nemo2]

During my initial time in Saudi, when I was on single status, a co-worker and I were 'invited' to to the married quarters for dinner, and to play Trivial Pursuit, with the guy that we were both unfortunate enough to report to at the time..........throughout the entire painful evening we had to listen to his 'explanations' regarding why the answer(s) he gave were correct and those provided in the game were wrong. AAAAARRRRGH.

 

[HFWR]

As Dave Berry might say, "I'm not making this up"...

 

[Midpack]

During my initial time in Saudi, when I was on single status, a co-worker and I were 'invited' to to the married quarters for dinner, and to play Trivial Pursuit, with the guy that we were both unfortunate enough to report to at the time..........throughout the entire painful evening we had to listen to his 'explanations' regarding why the answer(s) he gave were correct and those provided in the game were wrong. AAAAARRRRGH.

'Oh! look at the time! Sorry but I've gotta go, thanks for a lovely evening. buh-bye, cya...

 

[Nemo2]

'Oh! look at the time! Sorry but I've gotta go, thanks for a lovely evening. buh-bye, cya...

Thankfully I had the excuse that I went running at 5:00 a.m. and we all had to be at work for a 7:00 a.m. start.

 

[FUEGO]

Hard to answer the poll. I mean there are so many varying degrees of right and wrong. How do we define truth and how do we know it? So many epistemological questions yet so few answers.

 

[W2R]

I always thought that being able to simply admit that one is wrong, is part of growing up - - a sign of maturity.

Now, feeling GUILTY about being wrong is another matter. I do that very well, too, and I'm not even Catholic.

Generally I admit my error, and then I verbally thrash myself for making the mistake. ("I was wrong. HOW could I have possibly made such a stupid mistake? You'd think that after all these years I would know better." and so on).

 

[freebird5825]

'Oh! look at the time! Sorry but I've gotta go, thanks for a lovely evening. buh-bye, cya...

I have found that there are several things that will make people be very glad to see you go...a casual comment of "I think I might have poison ivy, fleas or diarrhea".
Use 1 or all 3 depending on the strength of the verbal grip that person has on you.

 

[anethum]

I find it troubling that there are so many people in this world who are unable to say "I made a mistake" or "I'm sorry". Not long ago, a (former) friend treated me in a terribly shabby and insulting manner. He knew that I was furious, although I didn't yell or scream at him. He compounded his awful behavior by refusing to even speak with me about it for a week. After a week, the best he could do was to say, "if I had it to do over again, I would do things differently", but he was unable to acknowledge that he made a mistake, nor could he get himself to say "I'm sorry".

This wasn't the first such incident, but it will be the last.

 

[Meadbh]

This wasn't the first such incident, but it will be the last.

As in, you are "unfriending" him?
Perhaps he has a lot of the J trait in his personality. Are you sure you want to give up on him?

 

[FIREd]

It was hard to admit that I was wrong when I was a whippersnapper. But I have lost my appetite for arguing, especially from an untenable position. Admitting that I am wrong is easier.

 

[eytonxav]

You can't go "wrong" when you go "right"! At least that works for UPS.

 

[Sirka]

Investment mistakes?

Hard to answer the poll. I mean there are so many varying degrees of right and wrong. How do we define truth and how do we know it?

+1
But, when I make an investment mistake, and there are plenty, it's easy to say that I was early. When the company goes bankrupt, then there is no sense in denying it, is there?

 

[Midpack]

Some interesting posts, thanks.

And the poll results I expected, so far 98% can admit they're wrong! Yeah, right - not even true here much less the population at large. I don't claim to know percentages, but it ain't 98%.

Just for fun anyway...

 

[Nemo2]

You guys have put me to shame, so if it ever, EVER, turns out that I'm wrong about something, then you'll be (among the) first to know........presuming you're still alive at that late date, of course.

 

[MBAustin]

I'm insistent, argumentative and stubborn - but I also have a pretty good batting average of being right. OTOH, if someone convinces me that I am wrong, I don't have any problems admitting that I was wrong and changing my position.

Hmmm...I think this is how DH would describe me.

 

[jerome len]

I believe the 4 most important words I've learned to use are, "I'm wrong, I'm sorry".

I have to use them fairly often.....and I train others on them at my church. I'm not sure everyone agrees when I won't use them but I truly believe those words have true value and my ego doesn't make me need to be right when I know I'm wrong.

And, I feel I won when I say I'm wrong....why? because I learned what was "right" and will make better decisions because of it.

 

[Moemg]

Absolutely ! It eats at me until I admit it & say I am sorry .

 

[Meadbh]

I actually know a person whose family name is Wrong. She is always wrong!

 

[REWahoo]

I actually know a person whose family name is Wrong. She is always wrong!

Is her first name So?

 

[scrabbler1]

Is her first name So?

That's her middle name. Her first name is "Always."

 

[pb4uski]

Interesting to see there is at least one brutally honest person who replied to the poll.

 

[BTravlin]

I'm 54 years old. I can't imagine how many times I've been wrong over the years and I'm more than happy to admit it and apologize if appropriate.

 

[obgyn65]

In my personal life I have no problem admitting when I was wrong.

 

[Midpack]

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f30/5-mistakes-that-will-crush-retirement-dreams-63891-2.html

 

[Gumby]

As I recently admitted to one of my colleagues -- "I was wrong. It's certainly not the first time, and, God willing, it won't be the last."