It's not me, it's most definitely you.

Hello, lovelies. We all have in our circle of friends that one person that is always right. That knows everything and is more than happy to tell you all the ways that you are wrong. But what happens when we hear their ideas, thoughts and beliefs over our own? Are they always right because they say they are? Or are they just telling us that because they have nothing else in theirs? Is it really you that’s wrong? Or has it always been them? I have always managed to surround myself with people that know better than I do, or so they tell me very, very often. They’re smarter than me. Have made better choices that I have. And wouldn’t have made the mistakes that I did. Basically, they’re just better people than me. And for the longest time I believed them. I know the struggles I face every day. I know when I don’t understand something. And I definitely know when I put my foot straight in it. So how can they not be correct in everything they say? But if I’m so caught up in my own failings, isn’t it correct to think that those around me can see the mess that I’m making of my life and call me out on it? Or am I looking at this the wrong way around? It is very easy to see in ourselves all the things that we do wrong. I often catch myself wishing that I hadn’t have said what I had. Or not to put myself in a bad situation, but that doesn’t make me a bad person. That just makes me human. And I would never call someone else out on their life choices, just because I think I know best. So why do so many others feel the need to interject into mine? There are many names to describe someone who always needs to be right, including indomitable, adamant, unrelenting, insistent, intransigent, obdurate, unshakeable, dictatorial. And trying to have a conversation, let alone have an argument with someone who thinks they are always right can be super frustrating. Are they just being arrogant, thinking they are better or more important than other people? Is that why they behave in a rude and way too confident manor? Or is there more to it than that? The question is why they need to always be right? What is so wrong with being wrong? Doesn’t being wrong about something helps us to learn what is right? We have all been spoken over, dismissed and misunderstood, and for the most part we have shrugged it off and tried to carry on with our lives. And for me, the older I have become, the more I have tried to remove myself from those who hold on to the idea that they are always right, and refuse to listen to, understand and empathise with those around them. But it’s not always that easy. It may be an employer or colleague. So removing yourself may not be an option. But understanding that their opinions are not a true reflection us, but rather a reflection on them I have one friend, who generally cannot see what they are doing to others. They, hand on heart, believe that they really do know all the answers. That they alone can solve everyone’s problems, all the while completely ignoring the fact that their own life is very far from perfect. They’re not a bad person, they just have the need to always be right, leaving no space for anyone else’s opinions in their world. Most of the time it has nothing to do with us. The more insecure they are, the more they need to boast about their achievements. The more they lack, the more they project on to others. I know that I am not always right. And that is okay. But the thing I am always right on is that my life is mine, my choices are mine, and I will always be willing to admit that my life isn’t for everyone. I need to surround myself with people like me. People who can look outside of themselves and what they believe to be right. I am very far from perfect, but I know that it isn’t me. It’s most definitely them.