Left is Right

Just because you think you are right does not make you right. Have you ever thought you were right to the point that you would have bet the farm on it and then find out you were wrong?  Ummm-hummm. Me too. I have had many instances that I was so sure that I was right with no chance of being wrong…only to find out I was wrong all along! If your logic is flawed from the beginning, you can never be right in the end.

This is a dangerous path to tread. It gets even more precarious when we fall into the pattern of thinking we are always right. This faulty thinking can trip you up in relationships, business, and even in your spiritual walk. If you remember just one thing, remember this: You can be right, or you can have relationship.

When you think that you are right, ask yourself:

  • What are you basing your opinion on? Just because you were right about this in the past does not necessarily mean you are right this time. Could you have been wrong about this in the past?
  • Have you really listened to the opposing view? This is one that came back to bite me recently. There was this riddle that I just KNEW I had the answer to. I even “corrected” several people as to what the right answer was. The only problem was, I was WRONG. I had to eat crow and admit I had the wrong answer when someone gently corrected me despite my continued stubborn stance. I finally saw the flaw in my logic. BTW, crow never tastes good.

I think sometimes we let our pride take over and insist we are right because we just can’t admit the fact that we are wrong when we “KNOW” we are right. I do believe in taking a stand and making your argument for something when it matters, but make sure it really matters in the scheme of things. Don’t sacrifice relationships for being right. Listen…truly listen to those who question your logic or your opinion. They just might be right, and they will help you grow if you let them. At the very least they will feel validated because you took time to really listen to them. Where you start matters, but where you end up matters even more.

P.S. One thing I know for sure: If you are left-handed you are in your right mind. Thank God I am right on that!

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

2 Responses to “Left is Right”

  1. Onaolapo Ajibade says:

    We must have certainty that we are right when it comes to our faith. For instance, that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life is absolute truth. But I do agree that even scientific findings that the world thinks is right can be proved false later. So we have to know when to be “stubborn” about our rightness and when to be humble enough to know that we could be wrong.

    • Dan Skognes says:

      Onaolapo, I agree. There are some absolutes that we have to accept. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Him. I have no problem defending my faith. We can agree on that. Thanks for your comments. Shalom! Dan