Admitting it when you are wrong


Misshalfway

Recommended Posts

(a very short rant)

Why is it that it is so hard for humans to admit it when they are wrong?

Why is it so hard to own it and apolgize for hurting another person or causing a conflict? Especially when doing so would help heal the situation so quickly?

BLAH!

It's me ... I know you are talking about me. :eek: I'll admit right now that I am wrong about 3/4 of the time, sorry ... and the other 1/4 of the time is when I talk with my hubby. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The sins of pride and arrogance, quite simply put.Even when wrong sometimes people dont feel that they are for silly reasons or justifications.Even when human beings know theyre wrong pride prevents them from admitting it.Especially in today's world where pride,status and power are the operating standards of society.To admit being wrong is to relinquish power and status as well as rank among fellow human beings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear so and so,

Merry Christmas! This year for Christmas I am giving out preemptive appologies, this is to take care of anything I do that may offend you or cause you to become angry with me. It is also for those times when I am right but you think I am wrong. Yes you can use it as that little, "I'm sorry, you were right and I was wrong." Attached to this card you will find 4 preemptive appologies, use them wisely, once they are gone they are gone.

Love you and have a great Christmas.

Like that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(a very short rant)

Why is it that it is so hard for humans to admit it when they are wrong?

Why is it so hard to own it and apolgize for hurting another person or causing a conflict? Especially when doing so would help heal the situation so quickly?

BLAH!

Because they don't necessarily feel they are? You may feel they're wrong, other people may feel they're wrong but unless they feel they're wrong the only motive to offer an apology is to make the other person feel better. Actually you've got two things going on in your post, admitting you were wrong and apologizing for hurting somebody else or causing conflict. I can feel and admit I'm wrong but not feel sorry for the conflict. I can also feel sorry for the conflict without feeling or admitting I'm wrong (I can also feel I'm wrong and feel sorry for the conflict). "I'm sorry we had a fight", is not an admission they feel their position was wrong, only that they're sorry a fight resulted from it.

It is really easy to think, "They are so obviously wrong they should shelve their pride and admit they are wrong." because it assumes you are right (I know things can be a bit more nuanced than that but a lot of arguments are binary in nature at some level). The funny thing is the person may be thinking the same exact thing about you. How do you know you aren't the one who is wrong, and they are right, and you should be the one admitting things? It is funny, you have a couple arguing. "He should admit he was wrong." stems from the same kind of assumption that his not admitting being wrong stems from, the assumption that one is right. He's not admitting he's wrong for the same reasons you aren't admitting you are wrong.

Now in clearly factual cases, "The sun is made of peanut butter." people in my experience will own up to it, but when they won't the reason they don't cop to it would be continued ignorance, or pride, not wanting to admit you were wrong/made a mistake/are fallible.

Edited by Dravin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have a problem admitting I'm wrong. I've been wrong plenty of times. I have more of a problem apologising for something that wasn't my fault. Such as, hurting someone's feelings because they misunderstood what I meant and that's not my fault but the point is they were still hurt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have a problem admitting I'm wrong. I've been wrong plenty of times. I have more of a problem apologising for something that wasn't my fault. Such as, hurting someone's feelings because they misunderstood what I meant and that's not my fault but the point is they were still hurt.

It is times like that you call upon the time honored classic, "I'm sorry your feelings were hurt." Usually people aren't perceptive enough to notice (or determined enough to make a fuss over it) you didn't apologize for anything you did but instead simply express sympathy over their distressed emotional state. It's kinda like saying you're sorry when somebody passes away, you aren't sorry for anything you did (unless you happen to be guilty of homicide) but that they find themselves in such trying events.

Of course occasionally somebody does pay attention/wants to make a fuss that you aren't actually apologizing for anything you did and they get even more offended then before, at that point I can't say I'm sorry their feelings are hurt, if you are going to be that easily offended and determined to be hurt I think you deserve it. :P Besides if you absolutely insist on another apology you are bound to get something along the lines of, "I'm sorry you find the English language so difficult to understand and about your tendency to associate malicious motives where there are (were ;)) none."

Edited by Dravin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

what if he really is always right?

Not possible.All humans err at one time or another.It also would defy the laws of the universe and physics in my opinion.Nothing is ever truly 100% even though it may appear to be.Everything always seeks balance.The more it is thrust toward one end or the other, the more agressively it seeks balance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was talking to my daughter about this last night because I have a problem with this. It's not that I won't admit I'm wrong; rather, it's the timing.

I've been really struggling for about six months now, and am very fragile. One day about a month ago I went to visit her, and I started talking about someone she did not want to talk about. Normally I handle these things just fine, as I know she has the right not to want to talk about someone, and I respect that.

But this time it just hit me hard, and I started bawling. I was also furious and I stormed out of the house despite my daughter's pleas not to.

I KNEW I was wrong, but I could not shake the anger I felt--until I could, and once I did I felt horrible for having thrown such a stupid tantrum. Luckily she showed up at my door the next day and I cried buckets while apologizing all over myself.

Like I said I've been fragile; otherwise, I am certain I would not have handled it the way I did.

However, even when I am at my strongest, if I've been in a serious disagreement, and I get that angry, I still need some space and time to let it go, but once it's gone, and I can look at the situation from a calmer place, I am glad to admit I was wrong as it is very healing to me.

I don't know if this applies to your situation, but there you have it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is times like that you call upon the time honored classic, "I'm sorry your feelings were hurt." Usually people aren't perceptive enough to notice (or determined enough to make a fuss over it) you didn't apologize for anything you did but instead simply express sympathy over their distressed emotional state. It's kinda like saying you're sorry when somebody passes away, you aren't sorry for anything you did (unless you happen to be guilty of homicide) but that they find themselves in such trying events.

Of course occasionally somebody does pay attention/wants to make a fuss that you aren't actually apologizing for anything you did and they get even more offended then before, at that point I can't say I'm sorry their feelings are hurt, if you are going to be that easily offended and determined to be hurt I think you deserve it. :P Besides if you absolutely insist on another apology you are bound to get something along the lines of, "I'm sorry you find the English language so difficult to understand and about your tendency to associate malicious motives where there are (were ;)) none."

i know someone that as far as i can think has NEVER apologized.... the closest he gets is the "i'm sorry your feelings were hurt" line.

for the most part i would agree that it's dumb to be upset at someone so foolish and just let it go.... .lol but (didn't see that coming did ya?) sometimes i think it's justified to not accept such an apology. one time the person i mentioned hurt me really really bad, betrayed a trust. months later he comes to me and says "i did.... for this reason.... i think what i did was the right thing.... i felt much better after i did it.... you can be mad at me if you want to, i'm ok with that" not once did he ever ask why it upset me so badly. i simply said "i'm glad you are ok with it" and walked away. i'm not losing any sleep over it but i will never trust this person the same for such inconsiderate "apologies"... he would have done better to never speak of the situation again than what he did.... but anyway.... life goes on. lol

i guess my point is sometimes a bad "apology" does more harm than no apology.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now in clearly factual cases, "The sun is made of peanut butter." people in my experience will own up to it, but when they won't the reason they don't cop to it would be continued ignorance, or pride, not wanting to admit you were wrong/made a mistake/are fallible.

Not everyone...

These screenshots were taken from a forum called the flat earth society. Now I can emphasize with most skeptics but...

Posted Image

Posted Image

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why is it that it is so hard for humans to admit it when they are wrong?

Why is it so hard to own it and apolgize for hurting another person or causing a conflict? Especially when doing so would help heal the situation so quickly?

Uh oh! What did I do now? :huh: Edited by ryanh
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...