Four Powerful Little Words

There are four incredibly powerful words that anyone in any sort of relationship should be well acquainted with. They are so powerful, in fact, that they have the ability to diffuse nearly any argument, altercation, or disagreement. If used genuinely, they are pretty much magical. Comprised of only 13 letters, the words “I could be wrong” are some of the hardest to say, but also some of the most important.

God has blessed me with four beautiful kids. They are some of the kindest, most helpful people I know. They are also nearly the most stubborn humans on the planet, second only to their dad and me. When a disagreement breaks out among them, you might as well buckle up because it’s going to be a long ride. There are no pushovers in this family. We tend to dig in and stand our ground.

You can only imagine how surprised and thrilled I was a couple of weeks ago to hear the magical phrase “I could be wrong” come from one of their mouths. Immediately the argument was over. How can you continue fighting with someone who has already admitted they might not be right? Where’s the fun in that? Why waste effort and energy on a fight that doesn’t even seem to matter anymore?

I cannot recall what they were bickering about. The topic was irrelevant and all the points were mute as soon as one child uttered the words “I could be wrong”. And you better believe that I made a BIG deal out of their admission of the possibility of not knowing it all. Although the argument was stopped prematurely, I’d offer that there was a winner. Anytime someone is able to shut down a debate with four words, that person is the victor.

So the next time you’re in a verbal disagreement and you really want to stick it to your opponent, simply articulate that you yourself could be wrong. I can almost guarantee their feathers will be unruffled immediately. Unless, however, I am wrong. There’s always that possibility.