Do you ever feel that itch to correct someone when their logic doesn’t align?
I do, constantly.
It’s like a reflex—seeing a gap in reasoning and wanting to fill it to bring clarity.
But I’ve realized that, more often than not, the urge to be “right” doesn’t add much.
Instead, it creates distance where I want connection and interruption where I want to add value.
In his timeless book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie reminds us that sometimes, proving a point is far less important than nurturing goodwill.
Carnegie shares a story of letting a misquote slide to maintain harmony, showing that connection often outweighs correction.
Danny Meyer, the famed restaurateur, takes this further with his more modern spin, in a 2015 keynote at The Welcome Conference, saying that “being right too often gets in the way of being generous.”
Meyer shares a story where he chose connection over correction in a moment of customer disagreement, focusing on the guest’s experience rather than winning a minor argument.
For Meyer, letting go of being right allowed him to serve the guests in a way that strengthened their bond.
Sometimes, the need to be correct isn’t as important as the chance to let people feel understood.
Letting go of “right” can make space for something more meaningful: a conversation that isn’t about correctness but connection.
