Dexa/Shankar Vedantam

The Need to Be Right

The struggle to accept mistakes can lead to unnecessary stress and conflict. One person's need for validation and correctness is illustrated through a conversation about scheduling, revealing how deeply ingrained the desire to be right can be. This experience highlights the importance of clear communication and the emotional weight we often place on being correct.

In this clip
From this podcast
Hidden Brain
How to Win People Over
Related Questions
- What does it mean when you realize you may have been making a mistake or taken criticism in a negative or defensive way on a project, as discussed in the episode 873: Custody Fiction Leads to Co-Parenting Friction | Feedback Friday and the clip Giving Constructive Feedback? I'm feeling frustrated about how I acted—responsive and thankful but also annoyed—after Kaitlyn suggested I do something differently. I have a weird relationship with this one manager at work. I’m going to change how I’ve been acting. I'm just an intern, but it's not obvious; everyone else loves me, and I love them. It's just this one person, and I need to change my attitude. She rarely gives me the space to explain and often asserts herself in the middle of presentations without letting me continue. It's very different from everyone else there. While it's useful in some ways, it's also frustrating. I'm proud that I recognize I need to adjust to her behavior. Will this change help her loosen her resistance too? But now, I'm feeling like I've had a negative impression on everyone and done a horrible job this summer. I know I haven't; I'm getting a return offer. But what is this feeling?