Behavioral psychologist Chantal van der Leest examines our behavior in the workplace: who or what determines our daily decisions? Today: being right
I regularly get the question: how do I convince others of my right? Sure, there are some psychological tricks that might help. I’d be happy to share it, but first I want to know why you think that you are exactly right. Because it is striking: whoever I speak to, I only seem to know people who are always right.
For example, a group of fire protection specialists called in my help. They were very frustrated with how lax people in the workplace can deal with safety measures. They showed photos of heavy fire doors that should be kept closed, but set up with string, and trolleys of clean laundry in an escape route. Dangerous, but especially stupid, the experts thought.
Boost our confidence
Most of all, they wanted to hear from me that they were right and how others can’t think at all and make one fallacy after another. We all like that, you’re right. Early on in our lives we learn that you can do things right or wrong. The correct answer to a test yields a 10, the incorrect answer a big fail. If we are right, our self-confidence will get a boost.
However, you gain very little from it. Always wanting to be right even damages relationships. The experts were not wrong, not from their ideas about fire safety. But the world is more complex than that. I explained to them that in our lives we all form a certain image of the world, which we feel is right. But this applies to everyone. Everyone thinks that he has thought carefully and has come to the only correct world view.
Everyone thinks that he has thought well and has come to the only correct world view
I showed them their own photos of unsafe situations again. How did they view this behavior now? They soon realized that people weren’t out to create dangerous situations, they were simply trying to do their job. Trolleys with laundry were more untidy in front of the reception than in the escape route. And a door with a heavy wringer is very annoying if you often have to pass with heavy items. Soon they were inspired to find solutions that worked for everyone.
I left the meeting satisfied. Glad I was right.
Would you like to know more about psychology and work? Read Chantal’s books Why perfectionists are rarely happy, 13 tips against perfectionism (2021) and Our fallible thinking at work (2018).
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