Nobody likes being wrong. I know I don’t. We’re committed to avoiding that moment when a sink hole opens up inside our chest and our heart plummets into our gullet. You know that feeling and you don’t like setting the table for it. We can agree on that.
So now for the story about when I was wrong and how my wife paid the price. She wasn’t feeling 100%. Head congestion and that sort of thing. But she wasn’t really sick. She was in that awkward no-man’s land. So we decided to stop at Starbucks and grab a cup of tea. We were already out. She asked me what kind she should get. She wanted a green tea that was decaffeinated. The reason she asked me is because I used to work at Starbucks in college. While that was over 10 years ago and much has changed there, I still fancy myself in the know with all things Starbucks.
Turns out I’m not.
I told her to grab the Refresh variety. She immediately questioned me insisting that variety was actually a mint tea. I insisted back that it wasn’t. She got one. We get to the car and she takes a sip. Her face got all wonky. I’m handed the cup. “Here, try this.” I do. That’s when I say, “I can see what you’re tasting, but that’s not mint.”
It was mint.
I learned that later upon inspection of the label. My wife hates mint tea. Why was I so adamant that it wasn’t? I wouldn’t even listen to a contrary opinion. She may have even questioned me inside when ordering a non-mint tea named Refresh. I could have asked the barista but, why would I need to do that? I knew everything I needed to know. I worked there 12 years ago, remember?
I allowed my wife to risk having to drink a beverage I know she hates. The reason, I believe, was I was too proud to admit I might not know the answer on a subject I want to be considered fluent in. Not malicious pride.* Mine was much subtler. Thankfully it was only a cup of tea and my wife’s tastebuds that were in jeopardy. (She had a cold so she couldn’t taste it properly anyway!) (Kidding)
Nobody likes being wrong.
Everyone is wrong at some point.
You can either admit you might not know something and spare others the consequences or you can say something asinine like:
“I can see what you’re tasting, but that’s not mint.”
Ugh.
*This sort of reminds me of anchoring bias. Not the same thing but reminds me of it nonetheless.
