"You are right/I am wrong"
Admittedly, its a little cliche. But, its an exceptionally power packed series of three words. In my experience, it creates the opportunity for three things:
Gives a space for learning and encourages seeing things from another’s perspective
Gives respect to others
Shows power through humility.
What is surprising and, quite honestly, a little sad is how little we see this in public discourse lately. I say these three words frequently to my wife, friends, family, co-workers, and lots of other people. I say them because I make mistakes and am willing to freely admit when my logic, data or understanding might be wrong. It has freed me of the constant worry about looking good or seeming “strong”. Don’t get me wrong, I have deep, long held beliefs. But, I’m not married to them because…the world constantly changes.
Yes, its true. The world (life, relationships, work, etc.) are in a constant state of flux. So how on earth is it possible that someone can be constantly correct? How is it possible that logic can’t be flawed?
We are learning so very much, at an increasingly rapid pace, in our life times. Why put the burden upon yourself to think you constantly have to be right. In baseball, people can have batting averages of .300 and be in the hall of fame. That is 3 out of 10 times getting a hit. THREE. Doesn’t that give us some room to maneuver in life?
Go ahead, admit when you are wrong. Give someone else credit for being correct. You’ll see magic created in the relationship and you’ll get a sense of freedom as well.