The Cost of Right
September 23rd, 2008What does it cost to be right? What is it that you gain?
Now let me preface this by saying, I’m not talking about being right at work or while bs’ing with friends. What I am talking about hits home with many of the men I know. I am talking about those times when seeing eye-to-eye is harder than usual with your significant other. You know, the BIG ones. And the big ones that started off as small ones.
As a man, at least for many of us, we equate being right with strength, with power, with leverage.
But what do we gain?
I ask because I’ve never really given it much thought. Thinking about the spats, minor tiffs and full out fight between mami and I…what was there to gain. In the grand scheme of my day-to-day life, I can’t honestly think about a plus, anything truly gained, from being right in those situations.
An exchange of harsh words, repressed resentment and even momentary hatred. That is the cost of right. Hurt feelings and tears. That is the cost of right.
I am pretty damn stubborn (working on it). And knowing that, why won’t I budge? Give an inch? Because of right.
I’m not sure why the importance of right has been drilled into me as a person. Not even sure by who. And honestly, the issue isn’t with “right,” it’s when I have to be right. When it’s my way or no way.
I’m beginning to appreciate “wrong” and it’s only taken me 5 years of marriage to latch onto the idea. I’m a work in progress, but I could be in worse shape.
Here’s to getting it wrong every now and then.
Laugh love and live people.
-UsD
