2007-04-10 4:19 PM

You Must Be Right

I’m sure you can think of a time that you were right. (Usually involving someone else being wrong.)
I’m also sure you can think of a time you were adamant that you were right and it caused tension. (Usually because you told them they were wrong!)
How many other times can you recall that were more difficult because you had to be right?

Notice how shifting which definition of right is used changes our perception of these situations.

adjective: correct in opinion or judgment
adjective: appropriate for a condition or occasion

(These two are a small sample of definitions of right.)

In the situations you came up with above I’ll bet you needed to be right in the first sense — “my opinion or judgment is the correct one. “
What all changes when we shift to the second definition? Many (if not all) of those situations show behavior that is not “appropriate for the occasion.”

Imagine how much more will you accomplish in a given day when you let go of being right (correct) and actively acknowledge people’s inherent value (appropriate for every occasion)!

Posted by Wayne Buckhanan No Comments »

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