Being right often misleads people into thinking that they hold the only truth. But the wide spectrum of life and life’s associations means that things are rarely so simple.
Imagine two people looking at the same mountain. One from the north side and one from the south side. The first person might say that it’s covered with green trees. The second person might insist that it’s made up of rocky cliffs and looks void of life. It goes without saying that both of them are right… from their perspective. It’s just that neither of them are able to see the full picture.
Just because one person sees 1 side of the story does not mean that it’s the only side and other sides don’t exists. This is one of the biggest truths in the wisdom of things. And one in which we can take into every argument, every classroom, and every dinner table debate.
A lot of times, an answer to a question that is right is just one of many right answers. And the reason they might be right is that they are not wrong.
This is most observable in the business world. Where there is no single correct formula to success. There are always more than one answer that makes sense, that helps one achieve success. For every big mistake that a high-achiever states will lead to failure, there will be another person who applied that “mistake” that led to success.
Most of our ideas are conceptualised and shaped by what we’ve seen, who we’ve met, and where we’ve been. Essentially sprouted out from our expriences. This implies that two people can see the same thing and feel completely different about it because how they perceive and interpret the imagery they saw can be different. You might love rainy days because the temperature makes you feel cozy, while someone else feels gloomy for it’s what the gray skies makes them feel.
No one is wrong.
In philosophy, this idea is called pluralism. It defines that more than one thing can be true at the same time.
When we acknowledge and accept the existence of pluralism, we will have no need to fight every battle or counter every move just to prove others wrong. There is no need to feel superior than others by exposing them as wrong.
We can instead use this to arouse curiosity. Ask why people see things differently? What can be learned from the view of others? If everybody agreed on everything all the time, conversations would be about as exciting as a sandwich without any filling—a little flat, but still food for thought.
When we listen to others with genuinely curious open minds, it’s like adding more colors to our paint palette of life. Our world gets brighter and richer because we see more than just our own piece of the puzzle. And sometimes, you might realize that what you have is just 1 part of the puzzle. Being receptive to the thoughts of others might help you realize that there are other parts of the puzzle that you are unaware of.
But of course, there are times when facts matter. It’d be wrong to say that the sun rises from the west. But it’s not impossible to see a pole-shift and what used to be east becomes west!
And let’s not forget that a person facing south will have the sun rise from the left. While a person facing north will have the sun rise from the right. It’s all perspective.
In situations where feelings, values, or experiences are involved, right and wrong aren’t so clear-cut.
Be kinder to each other. When someone disagrees, let go of the urge to be the one who is right. Use it as an opportunity to understand people better and a process of personal growth.
Being right should never be about shutting down the thoughts and opinions of others. Let it ignite the desire to explore the many ways people find meaning in the world.
After all, if everyone saw things the same way, life would be pretty boring.