Open To Being Wrong

+++ title = “11” date = 2019 +++

Most people get a thrill out of being right. That is, if they can prove their point well enough that another person is persuaded, they feel good about themselves. Their viewpoints become validated. 

But I’d like to meet more people who are open to being wrong. I’m not talking about the mere admittance that one could be wrong, but that they actively seek out ways to discredit their own views, as counter-intuitive as the idea sounds.

I think those who engage in this sort of mental reconstruction are smarter than most. They understand there’s a line between intellect and tribalism. That beliefs aren’t really based on logic and reason. That most beliefs are based on emotion. An in fact, the stronger one clings to their beliefs in the face of contrary evidence, the more likely that their belief was based on emotion to begin with.

It isn’t bad to use emotion to create beliefs. We all do it. But when we create a belief that is impervious to any contrary evidence, we’ve backed ourselves into a corner. A life that was once dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge becomes a fortress, closed off and shut down.

Not even the light gets in.