This quote by François de La Rochefoucauld showed up in my quote-of-the-day email from goodreads.com. It reminded me of the stress I endured living with someone who could not admit he was wrong -- and how everything changed when he finally learned to say, "You were right and I was wrong." He says it all the time now. So do I.
When you say, "You were right and I was wrong," the conflict is over. If you don't say it, the conflict -- which might have been trivial -- stays alive taking up precious mental real estate. So if it is obvious that you were wrong, learn to say the seven magic words. Need a lesson? Click here for a nine-second video of a man admitting he was wrong.
Having ended one conflict, we can move on to the new disagreements that are waiting for us just beyond the next cup of coffee.
I think that both myself and my wife could do a better job of using those 7 words. I cannot control her behavior though, only mine. -Tomorrow I will make a concerted effort to be mindful of these 7 words. It always amazes me that we (humans) are often the hardest on those we love the most. -So strange, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteGreat post as always Lil.