2017.05.22 03:36
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/22/smarter-living/why-its-so-hard-to-admit-youre-wrong.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad
Our confirmation bias kicks in, causing us to seek out evidence to prove what we already believe.
2017.05.22 04:10
2017.05.28 12:26
"All men make mistakes but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil.
The only crime is pride." Sophocles in "Antigone ".
In the recent book , the best seller "When breath becomes air ", the author, Paul Kalanithi, MD tells
a story of the fellow resident who was in trouble and seeking advice from Paul.
Paul advised him "All you have to do is look me in the eye and say I am sorry.
What happened was my fault and I won't let it happen again".
But he never listens in the book. "But it was the nurse who------" But----
I had similar experience during my active days as a CV surgeon during which frequently involved in
quality assurance actvities of the fellow surgeons and cardiologists at the out-breaks of bad out-comes/mishaps.
This review is a good reminder, I believe, for the aging folks like myself
to try to be more flexible and open minded so that our hearts do not get stone-hard
no more than they already have become.
If we remain flexible and open-minded, our hearts will be able to feel what they call "cognitive dissonance "
(?pang of conscience )so that we don't hesitate to apologize when we are wrong or make a mistake.
This is easier said than done to most people, especially more so to the old folks.
One old physician used to tell me, " Hahn, you must learn to be flexible as you get older
like I am now. Flexibility is essential and a secret for survival in old age."
I didn't quite understand then what he was saying other than having some vague notion about it.
As I am reaching his age myself, I seem to have a better understanding of the word, flexibility.
I find it necessary to be flexible every day in relating to wife, children, grand children, and friends
as well as in dealing with my own personal problems. Indeed it is essential and may well be
a secret to my survival in old age as he said.