Finding out that you’re wrong is just unpleasant and humiliating, right? Not so fast. As it turns out, there might be so much more value to being wrong than you’ve ever stopped to consider. And, once you understand why it can be so useful to be wrong sometimes, you might find yourself being more adventurous and less cautious in your decisions.
In this inspiring and uplifting TED talk, Kathryn Schulz (a “wrongologist”, as it were) explains to you why we should all be more comfortable with the idea of admitting we’re wrong. Indeed, Schulz argues, we should actively impress our potential for fallibility.
Her funny, smart presentation explores what we’re actually thinking prior to finding out that we got something wrong, and what happens when we learn that we are wrong.
Supported by anecdotes from her own life and from the media, Schulz makes a compelling case for not only dropping shame around our intellectual imperfections but also becoming genuinely happy about the sense of wonder associated with an awareness of one’s fallibility.
So, free yourself from the fear of not doing things right, and take a few risks instead. If you succeed, then that’s great. But if you don’t, you’ll benefit from the experience of being wrong.
