I’m always wrong.
Luckily, I’m not the only one in this predicament.
No matter what I say, or anyone says, really, there’s a point of view from which it’s wrong.
It doesn’t take everything into account. It oversimplifies. It’s too complicated. There’s an exception. There’s a margin for error. It’s too long-winded taking too many things into account and therefore says nothing. It might be presented differently on a different day. And so on.
Happily, there are often more perspectives from which whatever it is right and correct or, at a minimum, helpful.
The problem is when considering all those perspectives paralyzes me, when I keep considering how another way might be better, either one of the options I’ve created or that one right out of reach that I haven’t come up with yet. In other words, I’m afraid I’ll be wrong.
Acknowledging that what I fear has already come to pass gives me some measure of strength.
Unfortunately, this is a horribly negative way to view the situation. It is going to be self-limiting in its effectiveness by its very nature. I need a more positive paradigm.
I have some ideas where I will find it – in concepts of failing fast and early, or how children learn, or the acceptance of structural tension, to start with – although I don’t yet have a succint way to put it. Eventually, I will.
This post started out as a major mess, trying to get my head around the possibility of too many perspectives prompting mental paralysis. It was filled with examples and rambling and justifications and other odd things. This is not where I intended to take my words, but when the idea of always being wrong popped into my head it was too loud to ignore. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next time I give it a try.
