Jed sez: > Here is an interesting treatise on being wrong: > http://www.amazon.com/Being-Wrong-Adventures-Margin-Error/dp/0061176044
It seems to be human nature to want to be right about what it is that we chose to pontificate on. Unfortunately, arriving at certain opinions seems to be one of humanities' worst traits. How many wars were started due to a difference of opinion? As the book by Kathryn Schultz ironically suggests, we tend to learn a lot more about our environment (and ourselves) by acknowledging and confronting the possibility that some of the assumptions and opinions we strenuously defend might turn out to be dead wrong. Being wrong... acknowledging the fact that we can be wrong about something results in far more growth of the human condition than being right all the time. All too often, and usually unbeknownst to our conscious awareness, we tend to invest a vital sense of our own self-worth in an opinion. We become oblivious to the fact that that the opinion we subsequently defend had been crafted by us. We are oblivious to the fact that we continue to maintain that opinion as if it has acquired a life of its own. We continue breathing life and vitality into that opinion - oblivious to the fact that we can just as easily destroy if we choose to do so. We do not realize that we have given the opinion we created power over our lives. We have essentially become slaves to many of our opinions. They have become the masters of our lives. IMHO, the best scientists, philosophers and teachers of the world understand this all-too-human condition. They do their best never to fall prey to the very opinions they have created. They strive never to forget the terrible ramifications of loosing site of the consequences. I hasten to add, I still find myself constantly at odds with many opinions I have created throughout my life. However, since I have become aware of this little trap, I think I'm getting a little better each day not letting many of the incessant little opinions about this or that issue that I created, rule my sense of self-worth. And that's my o'pinun, so shuv it if ya don't like it. Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
