We're about to be wrong

  • 10th Sep 2022
  •  • 
  • 2 min read

I’ve noticed certain leading indicators for when we humans are about to be wrong. Here are a few:

  • If you see yourself or your work as the center of the action, oh no you’re not. You’re probably wrong.
  • If you hear yourself saying “always” or “never” more than five times in a single conversation, think again. You’re probably wrong.
  • If you feel yourself getting frustrated by someone whose opinion differs from yours, listen louder. Because you’re probably wrong.
  • If you find yourself speaking to a crowd of people that seem to like everything you’re saying, heads up! Something is wrong.
  • If you are extrapolating to higher and higher levels of abstraction that are demonstrably logically true, stop it and verify. Woo-boy are you about to be very practically wrong!
  • If you sense you’ve had a breakthough and everything suddenly makes total sense, enjoy it while it lasts. And yeah, you’re probably wrong.
  • If you think you’ve got this down, and there’s nothing left for you to learn, duck! You’re about to be knocked upside the head for being wrong.

Wrong isn’t a bad thing. At least in this context it’s not, not in my book anyway.
Because being wrong is what opens us up to learning what is right, what is actually true.
Because being “right” contextually dependent and time bound. Right is ever- fleeting.
Who can hold onto “right” as dependencies change, meaning evolves, and context shifts?
It seems the faster we go, the wronger we get.
That is until we relax into the wonder of not really knowing for sure, and better calibrating our confidence to match our proven results.

What are some other great indications that you’d like to share that would help me notice when I’m wrong?