Letting others be wrong is good advice.


Stupid people are always trying to prove they arent stupid, and you belittle them by correcting them.

When I hear something that is wrong, I first think "will this misinformation effect me?"  and if not, I usually chuckle and let it slide.

Often rather than correct them, you can subtly just add in a counterview without actually claiming it as yours.

Doctor Jolly wrote on Oct 16^th, 2013 at 10:08am:



In a general sense that is correct.




imo, when those who are wrong, refuse to 'pick up the bill' for the 'down stream' consequences of their choices.

???

And that is what morality immorality always comes down to.

i.e.
A refusal of the individual, to be responsible for the [negative] consequences of his/her own choices.

'We're only human, we're supposed to make mistakes.'

- - Billy Joel

....but we are meant to be smart enough to learn to be sorry for [regret] them.

A ninja(according to some book i read but can't for the moment find online as i forget its exact title but am sure i have referenced b4) is known  for his/her STRENGTH, KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM and SILENCE.

The attribute of silence doesn't mean you can't share information with a true seeker of the way but it simply acknowledges that people that know don't need to be told and people that don't know often won't listen.

4 – The Emptiness of a Vessel
The Tao is (like) the emptiness of a vessel;

and in our employment of it we must be on our guard against all fulness.

How deep and unfathomable it is, as if it were the Honoured Ancestor of
all things!

We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications of things;

we should attemper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others.

How pure and still the Tao is, as if it would ever so continue!

I do not know whose son it is. It might appear to have been before God.

http://www.poetseers.org/the-poetseers/lao-tzu/tao-te-ching/verse-81-mitchell/

On one level, I think this is good advice; on another, it probably isn't.

What I think he might mean is that, within the bounds of general conversation, it's not essential to correct the other person for making an invalid statement. It's actually an essential social skill to realise this—sometimes, it just doesn't matter.

In a realm in which debate is socially acceptable, however (like this forum, for instance), I think we should be encouraged to politely and respectively point out an incorrect statement if it is made, in order that the discussion may progress. I think that's a good and useful thing.

These views may seem contradictory, but I think they're compatible. It's really all about social context.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Oct 16^th, 2013 at 10:45am:


As you 2 already know, I much prefer to correct them and show them the error of their ways through due exhortation and rebuke

Lisa Jones wrote on Nov 10^th, 2013 at 9:05pm:


Over the past few days, I've done just that .. rebuked and told certain people exactly what I thought of their wrong actions.

It would be nice if said people could offer an apology .. instead of attempting to rescript recent history so as to make them appear slightly more decent than they really are.