PLGRM

When I was in High School, I was a debater. I was pretty good, if I’m honest. I was on the team my Senior Year that went to State. I thought being a good debater taught me about good arguments.

It did not.

What I learned later in life is there is a difference between being Right and being Not-Wrong.

A lot of people have been trained to avoid situations where they are wrong. Being wrong means you are bad and a failure. That’s what we think. No one wants to be that.

Being Not-Wrong means you get to avoid those negative emotions. Most people strive to be Not-Wrong, but in the end, that doesn’t do us much good. Being Not-Wrong only means you’ve avoided some pitfalls.

Being Right means you know where the goal is. It’s a positive, constructive reality. Avoiding pitfalls is good, but if you don’t reach your destination at some point who cars if your tires are still in good shape?

It took me a long time to learn that even though I was Not-Wrong I still had no clue when, how, or why I was Right. That’s a bigger hurdle to clear.