When it’s Right to be Wrong

by Kathy Seaton

What? It’s ok to be wrong? For f*#% sake, I nearly fell of my chair at this frightening idea. I’m never wrong.

A woman named Kathryn Schultz spent the last five years thinking about the notion of being wrong. Boy, that is job security in a world where we convince ourselves, and those around us, that we’re infallible.

My husband and I live in Orange County, California and we set out on a trip to mountain bike in Santa Barbara. I used to drive to Santa Barbara at least two times a month to meet a client, so I knew how to get there. I told my husband to take the 5 freeway. He questioned me constantly. But I knew I was right. So when we passed Magic Mountain (which is now where near the coast of Santa Barbara), I challenged myself, do I admit that I’m dead wrong or let him keep driving? Haha. We had to trek back to the 405, for an hour, listening to “Tiny Dancer” to finally reach our destination. I thought he was going to kill me, but then we ended up laughing about it. So was is so bad to be wrong? Not at all. Just part of life experience.

We’re always thinking about being right, or the opposite, avoiding the disaster of being wrong. We live in some altered reality, trapped in a feeling of being right, which as a culture, is the root of many problems. It, in many ways, stifles creativity and innovation because we’re always so focused on the right answer that we can’t see our mistakes. And then we operate out of fear and we’re driven to safety rather than to better solutions.

Kathryn compares our lives to Wiley Coyote and the Road Runner. The Coyote is forever devising plans to ruin the Road Runner, yet surprisingly he’s willing to jump off the cliff. Would you do the same, knowing that you’re probably going to crash to your death? Right now, in my frame of mind, I wouldn’t do it. But I can change.

Remember being back in grade school and you got a test returned with the words “see me” written in bold red pen? Sheer panic, right? You knew you made mistakes, but isn’t that part of the human experience? Unfortunately we learn early on that being wrong is a sign of failure or irresponsibility and from that leads an inconceivable search for perfection and over achievement.

It’s actually true that the feeling of being correct all of the time is dangerous, especially at work. You start to question others, assume their ignorance and idiocy, and then work becomes a drag. We actually create our own competition in the search for rightness.

This is why being wrong is a good thing:

1. It means your living in the moment and you’re likely to be willing to experience the special moments of surprise and wonder.
2. You’re freeing yourself from the constant thoughts of the past and the future.
3. You’re able to see others as capable and outstanding—true teammates and partners.
4. And you’re able to step outside that terrifying space of rightness.

“Wow, I don’t know.” Say it. It’s ok. And it’s liberating.