If you are rarely wrong then how do you learn?

Some people will brazenly state that they are rarely wrong. Simply in making that statement they have stabbed a dagger right through the heart of wonder, and of possibility. If we are not wrong, then how can we learn? If we know the answers before we've even done the experiment, or tested a hypothesis/theory then what is there to learn?

In reality, this is an ego and arrogance manifestation. The truth of the matter is all of us are wrong about a great many things. We are also right about others. That does not mean that we may not play mental games with OURSELVES and convince ourselves that we were not WRONG, we were right within the context of the information we had. Guess what? That is true of anyone that is wrong as well. They do not knowingly realize they are wrong. They operate within the context of the information they have, and what they have experienced up to that point. They are right in their mind until they encounter information that makes that wrong. If they have intelligence then they alter their world view at that point to account for the new information. They don't feel bad about being wrong, and they don't feel the need to brag and be brazen about how they were not actually wrong.

In fact, for people that really spend some time pondering their own mind, pondering critical thinking, pondering learning in general, and embracing philosophy... when they encounter a person stating they are rarely wrong it sends up a big red flag. They do not tend to buy into this persons claim, and they certainly do not give in to an appeal to authority. In reality, they likely feel pitty, sadness, or anger towards the person. To them it would be the first signs that the person is ignorant and potentially a fool or maybe not quite that harsh. They see it as naivety.

We cannot learn without both our successes and our failures.

We learn more in interacting with people who disagree with us than we will by interacting with people that agree with us. It is the people who disagree with us that have different ideas. It is different ideas that can potentially alter our world view. Yes, in our crowd of people that "agree" there is still original thought and new ideas can and do arise. That does not change the fact that every encounter with someone you disagree with is a potential for BOTH you and THEM to learn new things. The key is keeping it civil and not going into it with the I'M RIGHT AND YOU ARE WRONG AND YOU WILL NEVER CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE approach.

It is rarely truly so black and white. Often it is simply perception. Both parties may have pieces of the puzzle that the others do not. It is more often that both participants in the discussion were right about some things and wrong about others. This is a positive thing.

It is not bad to be wrong. It is natural, it is a good thing. Wrong only becomes a bad thing if a person insists they cannot be wrong and continues to do a wrong thing despite the fact they've received information pointing out it is wrong. That is simply being stubborn and arrogant and refusing to learn.

It is not bad to be right. It is natural, it is a good thing. Being right only becomes a bad thing if you laud it over a person and bludgeon them with the "see I told you so, I'm a bad ass, I am smarter than you" mentality.

To the I AM RARELY WRONG people.

Are you omniscient? Should we erect a temple to you? Are you an engineer, chef, virtuoso musician, physicist, chemist, medical doctor, surgeon, carpenter, plumber, welder, auto-mechanic, hacker, writer, mother, father, grand father, man, woman, person dying from a disease, person who survived a disease, etc.... ? I think you get the point. If you are not versed in all knowledge then there is a lot you are WRONG about. This is natural.

Are you more intelligent than most people? Perhaps. Yet sadly an intelligent person can also be a fool.

Whether you choose to be one or not is up to you. It is a mental thing.

I wrote a similar but not quite the same article related to critical thinking last week, and another topic that was also slightly similar. Right now this topic is in my mind and I was inspired by a post I resteemed of @sauravrungta's. I tend to write what appeals to me at the time. So if this article is too similar to other things I've posted before, I apologize. This is what was calling to me today to be written.

Steem On!