Be Glad to be Proven Wrong

Many people get angry when someone even suggests they are wrong, to say nothing of proving it. This isn't surprising, given that some studies even suggest that the area of the brain that activates when you are proven wrong is the same area that lights up when you are under physical threat. But you need to resist that primal urge, and start being thankful when someone takes the time to correct and educate you.

Resist the Urge to get Angry

While the urge to get angry and defensive when someone proves you wrong is perfectly normal, you're not here to be normal. Normal is sub-standard. Normal is failure. You're here to be stronger in every way, and more often than not, that means having to identify where you are weak.

So when a flaw, discrepancy, or incorrect belief is pointed out to you, fight that urge. Don't get angry, be grateful. Most of the time the person isn't pointing it out to be spiteful. And even if they are, still don't get angry. Deny them the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of you. Take the correction for what it is: a lesson to not make mistakes and give that person any ammunition in the future.

Don't get angry. Be grateful for the lesson.

Ask Yourself Why

The first question you should be asking yourself is why you were wrong. Did you jump to a hasty conclusion? Did you skip steps? Were you just outright ignoring something because you wanted it to be true or not true?

Why you were wrong can be just as important as how you were wrong. Don't discount this part of the lesson. Be thankful for the opportunity to re-evaluate your thought and decision making processes, especially if this was a small error that hurts nothing but your ego.

Figure out why you had the wrong answer, thought, belief, or fact. Once you know why, you should never need to repeat the mistake. Be thankful for the chance to improve.

What Else?

So you've been proven wrong. Great, you've learned you were incorrect. Don't stop there. Think about everything related to this correction. The why, the how, and anything in any way related.

Does this revelation impact anything else? In nearly every circumstance, it will. How you were wrong reveals a weakness in your process. What you were wrong about reveals a flaw in your facts, which inevitably requires correction of it and anything else related to it.

Take the time to fully integrate the new information into every aspect of yourself, so you're not right back there getting corrected again.

Be Grateful and be Gracious

No matter how smug, aggressive, our outright rude someone is when they prove you wrong, if they're right, they're right. Their poor delivery reflects on them, not on you. But facts are still facts.

Don't get caught up in an argument with the person, or complain about how "mean" they were about it. No one cares. They're right, you're wrong. If you want to deflate them, thank them and appreciate them doing you the favor of showing you were wrong. Not only will you digest the lesson better, you'll also come out of the confrontation as the better person.

When Were You Wrong?

As always, I want to hear from all of you. Tell us about a time that you were proven wrong, what you learned from it, and how you used it to improve yourself.