Admitting Defeat

This is a touchy subject, because I tend to talk about things only I know for sure, so as this subject is somewhat foreign to me, I can still talk about it from my side which is making people admit they are wrong more often. Now, as I said already, I do not like to talk about things of which I have little or no knowledge of. For example, I don't talk to people about movies I haven't seen, or I don't talk about riding a motorcycle as I have never rode upon one before. That being said, I have run into a fair amount of people who love to talk about things they have never before dealt with, studied, or even tried to comprehend in their lifetime. Also fitting into this category are the people who assume because they have read one website, one book, or heard one person lecture about it, that they are some kind of expert in this subject. One of the most recent coversations where this happened was about Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I saw the movie and was discussing it when someone said that the ending "held true to the book." Having read the book and watched the original movie I was quite perplexed because Charlie and Mr. Wonka both went on an adventure at the end of the book in the glass elevator which lead to the second book, Charlie and the Glass Elevator. Voicing these concerns and stating how the book ended someone promptly told me, "Thats not how the movie ends." Fair enough "That is not what I said." They then prompty explain to me exactly how I am wrong and that they did not go in an adventure in the glass elevator.

Now it has been quite a few years since I read those two books, but I was very sure it is how it ended. So I traveled to wikipedia and answer.com to get the information I needed. The two sources confirmed my assertion and blatently disproved his. Upon giving them this information, the back pedaling starts. "Oh, well I didn't know you were talking about the book," because I had only mentioned the book 3 seperate times.

This same person also was the one telling me that it is absurd to launch the space shuttle with only 3 of the 4 fuel gauges working, of which I agree that it would be absurd, however all 4 fuel gagues were working perfectly. He comes back with an article from a news source I have never seen before, written 2 days AFTER the launch saying that only 3 gauges were working, when both the AP and the Washington Post both say that everything went fine. He then proceeds to tell me that it is his "opinion" that the 3 gauges were working and that I shouldn't assault his "opinion" on the matter.

HOW IS THIS A GOD DAMNED OPINION!?

Of course, he wouln't admit to being wrong, that he wasn't informed, even that his news source was full of shit...His response "ok, whatever you say." The point is this, when I am wrong, I will admit it. I will usually hide my head in shame for being wrong, but it happens so rarely. If I am wrong in anything, if someone brings it to my attention I correct it, but I see increasingly from especially younger people the belief that everything they say is an opinion. There is no more black and white, no more yes and no, right or wrong, left or right, lie or truth. They simply believe that if they are wrong it is their "opinion" and no need to learn or grow, simply that you are an asshole for pointing out that they are retarded.

If you are wrong, ADMIT IT! If you are wrong, it gives you the ability to learn and grow. It makes you a better person. When you play a game, you don't learn anything from doing the same thing over and over again, you learn from new things, new ideas, to strategies. Trying to best the other person and that competition is key to the survival of the human race and your idiocy that it is your "opinion" when you are clearly wrong is almost as stupid as cutting off your foot because you stubbed your toe.

Grow up and learn a little.