I bumped into this talk by Kathryn Schulz at a TED conference where she discusses the merits of being wrong – and why we cling so hard to being right…
I thought a number of points she makes very striking and compelling. How does it feel to be wrong? And how often, when we are absolutely sure we’re right, are we actually already heading down the path towards making a serious mistake?
If I had to criticize one point of this talk it would be that Kathryn does not discuss what strategies might be employed to counter this kind of behavior, but I suppose that that is really up to each and every one of us. And TED talks are limited to 20 minutes – only so much you can cram into such a short time.
One thing, however, is certain: recognizing mistakes – and being able to respond to them – is even more relevant in an environment where you are placing yourself at risk, such as during work at height.
Nomeansno, a Canadian punk band summed it up rather nicely with their slogan Be Strong. Be Wrong…
