One of the most harmful habits I see in many people is our overwhelming need to prove how smart we are.
This often leads to incredibly stupid behaviour or dumb arguments, in which we fight to prove that we’re right and someone else is wrong.
Or the boss, who can’t resist improving one of their staff’s ideas, says, ‘that’s a great idea, it would be even better if you ….’.
It is one of the reasons who so many of us are poor listeners.
We are too busy trying to look smart, we don’t believe we need to hear what the other person is saying.
Are you willing to sacrifice the fleeting buzz of needing to be smart for the more valuable option of being effective?
Big tip for 2022 – before speaking, take a deep breath and ask yourself, ‘is what I am about to say in the best interests of myself and the people I love?’. If the answer is ‘no’, then ‘shut up and say nothing.
Would you rather be right or have a happy marriage?
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