QQC #3

Quote: "The gambler who puts his last hundred on odd and watches the ball hop decisively into slot 18 will tell you he knew it was a losing bet the instance the chip left his hand. He knew it, felt it. But of course if it had taken one more hop and landed in 19, he would cheerfully admit that such presentiments often prove to be wrong." (Quinn 189)

Question: Do we always have to be right?

Comment: I think we do. From personal experience, I say we lie when we're wrong. Here's an example I've encountered many times: someone telling a story (real or fictional) gets a fact wrong, and someone else corrects them. The storyteller usually either says the inaccuracy was intentional (they meant to do it, therefore they didn't make a mistake), or make up an excuse for their failings to lessen the severity. It doesn't matter what the fact was or if it was significant; if you got it wrong, no matter how little it mattered, you'll try to fix it. In addition to always wanting to be right, we like others to be wrong. The phrase "I told you so!" is so commonplace when someone admits a mistake that was predicted. We were right, they were wrong, and we feel good about it. People of all ages experience this; from little kids to older adults, we like pointing out others flaws while highlighting our achievements. I guess it's because we feel that we're better than the one who failed. We're strong when we catch mistakes, weak when we make them. Making mistakes is a sign of weakness, which could explain why admitting them is seen as such an act of strength.