Step One toward evolution - Admit When You've Been Wrong

[Nimrod]

From the rampant bannings of Freepers from their little citadel to the Right's vehement defense of someone they would otherwise be burning in effigy, a fact has been thrown into stark relief in my mind: PEOPLE WILL NOT ADMIT THEY WERE WRONG.

In some ways I suppose this is understandable. Nobody likes to be wrong. Our society has rising penchant to pound one mistake into proof positive that someone is wrong in ALL things, even completely unrelated to the mistake in question. We demonize our enemies and make sinless angels out of our heroes. We think in absolutes, extremes - no shades of gray - and so being WRONG is one of the worst tragedies that can occur in a human life. If you're wrong, you're not RIGHT! Eek!!

So I present for your enjoyment the "Admit You Were Wrong" thread. This thought came to me in another discussion where I admitted to something that I had never admitted to another human being before. It seriously took me by surprise, and got me to thinking about how oddly cathartic it was. I was wrong about something and my life as I know it did not end - what a concept!

Has not our entire human history - hell the entire natural history of the planet - been composed of attempts to improve on the current design? Physical evolution, mental evolution, social evolution - even if you choose to believe the Seven-Day theory, hasn't everything God has done been in effort to improve on the design? If everything had been perfect there would have been no need for the 10 Commandments, would there?

So - here's mine:

You know how often homophobes turn out to be closeted homosexuals? Well guess what? Until I was in my twenties, I would have shocked you with my virulent anti-gay stance. I happily endorsed shooting them on sight - no lie, and I was dead serious. The only thing better than locking them up for life would be to execute them publicly to serve as a warning to others of their species. I hated gays with every portion of my being, and was completely terrified of them at the same time. I thought homosexuals were predatory rapists, were filthy in the eyes of God, etc etc - every single anti-gay bit of hate you ever heard in your life came out of my mouth once. My attitude was completely despicable.

For the longest time I've been blaming my upbringing - came from a very conservative home with a very homophobic family. But you know what? That's a cop-out. My blame on them has been misplaced for decades. If I had no choice but to believe, I'd STILL be hating faggots and still be closeted with sixteen padlocks on the door. So there's proof positive that I had a choice to believe or not. I made my choice and...

(wait for it...)

I WAS WRONG! Sickeningly, embarrassingly wrong! My wrongness gives whole new meaning to the term "wrong". Every vile thought I had about gays was directed at myself first, I just didn't realize it... no let me amend that, I chose not to realize it. My own fear and horror at my own sexuality led to literally wishing death on an entire class of people rather than admit to myself what I REALLY wanted.

Whew.

Try it if you like! I think it would be good for us to get back into the habit, for if we can't accept our own mistakes we will just go on making them, and blaming everyone else for it.

I was wrong and I love it! :)

[HughBeaumont]

1. I voted for Bush/Quayle in '88.

DEAD wrong on that one. Although I wrote it off as young and dumb, inadvertently, my votes and others truly started the Bush Satanic Family Monarchy here in the US, and for that fact alone, I'm ashamed to have been duped. Thank GOD there was no Faux News Network in prominence in 1992.

[Bunny]

2. Your post was very powerful. Thank you for doing that.

As for me, I'm never wrong! ;) :eyes: