The Gift of Being Wrong

Most of us don’t enjoy being wrong. It can feel uncomfortable and sometimes difficult to admit. But what if changing our minds wasn’t a sign of weakness? What if it was a sign that we’re still growing?

Psychologists call this intellectual humility, the willingness to recognize that we don’t know everything and to remain open to learning. Research has linked intellectual humility to greater openness, stronger relationships, better learning, and even improved well-being. One 2025 study found that people with higher intellectual humility reported greater flourishing, meaning in life, and lower levels of anxiety and psychological distress.

As we walk alongside the families we serve, may we hold our assumptions loosely and our curiosity tightly. Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t being right, it’s being willing to learn something new. Growth often begins the moment we’re brave enough to say, “I hadn’t thought about it that way.”

 

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