I Knew I Was Right

Being right is satisfying and exhilarating, so we all pursue it relentlessly.

"I hate being right."

You know that's not true. The average human likes "being right" about whatever controversy they confront. We all want to be seen as thoughtful, wise and able to articulate our positions. We all want to be considered "Critical Thinkers". Right?

We do not want to be considered arrogant, inconsiderate or self righteous.

But I think you will agree, being right is satisfying and exhilarating, so we all pursue it relentlessly. If someone announces they have no value for "being right", they are being disingenuous.

The truth is most people are wrong almost as often as they are right about hotly contested cultural issues, about sports and courts, or public opinion surveys. There should be no shame about being wrong occasionally. That is human. What stirs conflict is the denial of being wrong when confronted with clear contrary evidence, or displaying a lack of humility and accountability.

I have spent the better part of the past ten years documenting and commenting on the State of Our Nation. I have no special training via academic credentials or professional specialty. I am not a product of Big Education, Big Business, or any form of bureaucratic indoctrination. I have never belonged to a union, been in the military, or joined an activist political or religious organization. I am simply an interested and invested observer. I am full of opinions based on what I have observed over the years. I have a college degree, have owned my own business and made payroll. I have lived a typical middle-class life: married, two kids, life-long friendships, and worked in many different industries.

I have always worked for small or medium sized companies. Some of them were connected to larger, more corporate interests, but my engagement has always been remote, at best. That doesn't mean I was a totally free agent: I still had to answer to the bottom line, but I was never incentivized by my membership in the corporate chain of command. In fact, I was always considered a rogue, undisciplined outlier. I had problems with authority, especially when it was wielded carelessly. The upper management put up with my independent nature because I produced results.

I always treated my bosses, my co-workers and my clients like I wanted to be treated: as partners, not antagonists. My fellow employees knew that I was always honest and dependable, I worked in collaboration, and I maintained a strong network of customers who relied on my customer service skills.

So when issues arose in the workplace, I told the truth. When that came into conflict with other folks, I knew I was right, because the truth may be wrong, but it is still the truth.

Any good manager knows you can't hide from the truth. I used the same set of guidelines in my private life. I have never lied to my wife.

Being right is a burden because the other party to the conflict has to concede. That is never fun. And for some it is unbearable, so they change the subject. They deflect, obfuscate, or pretend to misunderstand. I know this because I have used that technique when I am shown to be wrong. It is natural to want to appear nonplussed while backpedaling.

When deflecting fault onto another person, it is easy to feel somewhat responsible for their discomfort, even though you were correct and truthful, they now feel the heat for something they could have avoided altogether.

Humility is defined as "an attitude of spiritual modesty that comes from understanding our place in the larger order of things: The quality of being humble, and not taking ourselves too seriously." Think about how seldom we see this in our 21st century culture.

I have my point of view about what the many years of this cultural "indoctrination" means to society and civilization, so I am not going to claim to be unbiased or neutral about what it all means.

As much as I enjoy being correct about controversial issues, I am not interested in beating my chest and dancing a jig. I look for recognition only to the extent that it resolves problems and allows us to move on to the next challenge.

When people ask me what my politics are, I say I am a Pragmatist. They look at me like I am crazy. That's OK, because I know I just gave them the right answer.