Saying “I was wrong” isn’t an admission of incompetence. It’s a sign that you have the humility to learn from them. The faster you acknowledge when you’re wrong, the faster you can move forward being right. — Adam Grant
Thankfully, I never had an issue with admitting my mistakes or saying that “I was wrong and I should’ve known better” or just saying, “I’m sorry, I was wrong.” And I never thought of it as a big deal until I realised that (most) people’s egos wouldn’t allow them to admit that they were wrong or they didn’t know any better or that they feel sorry for acting stupid.
I can’t tell you why that’s the case, but I know that we’re all* insecure children seeking validation from others deep down. Saying “I was wrong” feels like they will have to start all over again, which sounds, feels, and *is* painful. So, they close up and act as if they would rather die than admit they were wrong.
That’s absurd, I know. But over the years, I’ve realised that “moving on” or saying that “I was wrong” requires a whole lot of courage than humility. And as with all the little and great things in life, that’s a practice. Something you can learn to do by doing right now.
Are you courageous enough to say “you’re sorry” and move on? Or would you like to stay stuck in “denial” and think it’s just a river in Egypt**?
* Okay, not everyone, alright?
** Stole that from Zig Ziglar… the line still cracks me up, yet is so profound