I have laughed much over the years, but especially in the last several months, over the banter that exists between fans of the SEC and the ACC. Up until a few years ago I just didn’t pay much attention to the bantering. I have never listened to sports radio nor been an every day reader of the sports page, but I do engage in social media and it has been quite a “hot” topic on news feed. I am not looking to get into the “banter” as to which conference is better, because quite honestly it isn’t that important to me, but it has made me very aware of the quote, “No one wins an argument!” So very true.
I know for me, at times, when I am wrong it is so hard to admit it…….my pride gets in the way……but I know I am not the only one who struggles with admitting when I am wrong. On the Back 9, it has become a lot easier to admit mistakes. I realize that being wrong doesn’t label you as stupid. It actually is a sign that you are willing to be “teachable!” I have learned through experience that peeling away pride and developing more of a “teachable” spirit is a very positive and good thing. Part of becoming teachable is the realization and admission that being wrong is not bad. I love the quote, “No one should be ashamed to admit they are wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that they are wiser today than they were yesterday.” ~Alexander Pope
We all have the potential to grow and be wiser when we fall or are wrong. It starts with honesty with ourselves and sometimes with others. It is not so much what you know but what you do with what you know! Sometimes knowing that you’re wrong, and admitting it, takes you a step closer to having a “soft heart” and “soft head” which are then pliable and able to be molded into something better.
Admitting you are wrong is associated with resourcefulness. Low self-esteem makes a person less resourceful and prone to being addicted to being right. A person who is able to admit being wrong is more resourceful because he believes he can and will develop new capabilities.
Admitting you’re wrong breeds an environment of learning and growth. I’ve been wrong enough and lived long enough to know everyone, even the smartest people, are capable of making mistakes too. We all do.
Proverbs 28:13, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Proverbs 24:3-4 (NIV) “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”
The following quotes are a sum total of great advice for growing wiser, being teachable and, if applied, can take anyone to new and better places!
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” ~John C. Maxwell
“To admit you were wrong is to declare you are wiser now than before.”