Feeling wrong

Do we like the feeling that we are wrong about something? Probably not. Does that mean we should ignore the feeling of being 'wrong'? Probably not. So, what do we do? We can strive to be less wrong. We all have our own perspectives on the universe. They can be related to topics from high-to-low significance. Some of our perspectives can be shared with others. More likely, they can be uniquely our own. Sadly, and I hate to break it to you if you don't already know, all of our perspectives are incorrect. How do we know this? Simply put, we cannot see and understand everything. Why does this matter? Incorrect perspectives on the universe can significantly delay our progress forward. They can endanger our survival. In ancient times, where Religion's views imprisoned and destroyed numerous possibilities for scientific advancement (Gallileo for example), to present times, where some still believe that the earth is flat, the energy spent in pursuing incorrect viewpoints detracts from finding the correct ones. Incorrect viewpoints have shackled and will continue to our capacity to evolve, individually, and as a whole. Sure, we have our own perspectives. They might likely seem to be 100% correct in our own minds. They might be a perspective that is 'good enough' or 'correct for our individual survival. But, we might also just be telling ourselves that they are correct even though they are not. On average, our individual perspectives are far from correct compared to everyone else's in the world. We might find groups and tribes that share elements of our personal perspectives. But are the group's perspectives correct for everyone beyond these groups? Are our individual and shared perspectives 'correct' in that they can help not just ourselves, or our group, but that they can help humanity to and the world to evolve, and to grow? Are the perspectives we take ones that allow for evolution? Or do they encourage destruction? Do we know? Have we thought far ahead about the consequences of taking perspectives as our own? It is time for us to consider the likely implications, the possible consequences, the longer-term outcomes of maintaining our perspective. The further away our chosen perspectives are from reality, the greater the potential for negative consequences. No single person knows or understands, everything. The complexity of our world prohibits it. Mathematics and physics prove it. The fact that we made a mistake in some way (yesterday, the day before, some tie in the past), prove that we don't know everything. So we have to rely on others for the perspectives that they can share with us. Remember though, everyone else, too, has an incomplete, an incorrect perspective. Blindly trusting in something or something without evaluating what or who we are trusting, might work out well for. It also can put us, individually, at a disadvantage. Those who see more than us may be able to navigate around us. They may be able to manipulate us to do what they want. Blind-trust can put us, and possibly everyone else, at risk. We can reduce our risk. How? Realize that the trust we put into other's perspectives should have good reasons. If the perspectives of others have been repeatedly incorrect, then for our own safety, we should consider the risk that they are bringing to us. So, if even just for our own personal safety, even better for the safety of others at increasingly larger scales of geography, here are a few things we can do personally: Re-examine our current perspectives, especially ones that differ considerably from others. Understand why they differ. Adjust our own perspective given what we learn. Go beyond our personal understanding to evaluate promising new perspectives. We cannot see everything. But, the more we try to see, the more we can see. Realize that we are not fully correct about everything, and cannot be correct. Our perspective is, continually, incomplete. Finally, consider the consequences of our own perspective and how they can lead to a future that no one wants to live in, or one where humanity lives beyond itself. When we see that our perspective are wrong to some extent, then we can change them. Once we do so, then we can be 'more right'. Or, perhaps, we will be 'less wrong'.