The Fascination with Being Right

In a recent revelation I discovered I tend to like being right.

I like to state things as if they were truly hard cold facts even if they are based on assumptions or guesswork.

I enjoy lording my intellect over others and find it my duty to correct wrong notions and continue to spread knowledge and truth.

In fact, I am so infatuated with it and my awesome abilities of self-awareness, I'm declaring it a fact RIGHT NOW. (whoa, got kinda meta there)

I don't think this is an isolated incident. I think we all like being right. There is a certain sense of authority to being right. Being assertive means you can take control of the situation, take command of the conversation, and center all attention to your awesomeness.

Unfortunately, overstating how right you are tends to have a few downsides. For one thing, you might start to think that you are actually always right all the time. Which you aren't. Plus, those that do know better might be afraid to correct you since you are so sure that you are right. Being thought of as cocky and obvious are also poor interpretations of your awesome rightness.

Here are some way to tell if this is affecting you:

1. Do you tend to state an opinion of yours as fact?
2. Do you have to have the last word in a discussion/argument?
3. Do you make you job to prevent misunderstandings?
4. Do you nitpick about small details in someone else's story as they tell it by interrupting them?
5. Do you sometimes feel the need to return to a prior spot in the conversation where someone was incorrect?
6. Do you often wish more people would speak up and correct you when you are unintentionally wrong?
7. Is there uncomfortable silence after you finish talking?

I have no idea how to fix this. Except maybe making sure I shut up more often.