The Correction Box: Why Being Wrong is a Creative Superpower

We live in the era of the “Permanent Record.” Every tweet, every post, and every opinion you’ve ever voiced is archived and searchable. This has created a terrifying social pressure to be “consistent.” We feel that if we change our minds, we are being weak, hypocritical, or—heaven forbid—”unauthentic.”

But as an editor who has killed thousands of “perfectly good” stories because the facts changed at the last minute, I can tell you: Consistency is the enemy of growth. If you think the same way today as you did five years ago, you haven’t been paying attention.

1. The “Sunk Cost” of an Opinion
In business and in life, we suffer from “Sunk Cost Bias.” We’ve spent so much time defending a certain worldview, a certain political stance, or a certain career path that we feel we can’t abandon it now without looking like a failure.

But an opinion isn’t a tattoo; it’s a draft. A good editor knows when to “spike” a story that isn’t working, no matter how much work has gone into it. Learning to say, “I used to think X, but now that I have more information, I think Y,” isn’t a sign of instability. It’s a sign of a high-functioning brain.

2. The Danger of “Confirmation Bias” Editing
We all have an internal editor that filters the world for us. The problem is that most people’s internal editors are “yes-men.” They only let in information that confirms what we already believe.

To be a truly “literate” human being, you have to actively seek out the “Red Pen” of opposing views. Read the columnist who makes your blood boil. Talk to the person whose lifestyle confuses you. If your ideas can’t survive a challenge, they aren’t worth holding.

3. The “Soft” Correction
In the newspaper, a correction is a cold, hard fact. In life, a correction is an act of grace.

When you realize you were wrong—whether it was about a project at work or an argument with a partner—don’t bury the lead. Don’t “weasel-word” your way out of it.

Don’t say: “Mistakes were made.” * Say: “I was wrong. I see it differently now.”

This is the most powerful “social edit” you can perform. It immediately lowers the temperature of any room and invites the other person to be honest as well.