The problem is that we all come with the necessary equipment to fall into the “always be right” trap. Opinions are like bellybuttons. We all have them, so we have all the necessary ingredients to breed disagreement, conflict, and resentment. Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle goes as far as to describe the need to be right as a form of violence. At its mildest, it is inflexibility. At its height, it manifests as dominance. The compulsion to inflict our opinions of the world on another originates in fear. Its opposites are humility and compassion. Even the golden rule tells us to treat others in a way we would like to be treated. If you just keep banging away at someone until they flinch and accept your point of view, you’re probably not very happy with the state of your current relationships—or secretly need that validation to feel good about yourself. Of course, if you are confronted with a position that is inhumane or violent in nature, you can acknowledge that you disagree without mounting an assault against it. Landry is the president of Masterpiece Living, a group of multi-discipline specialists in aging who partner with communities to assist them in becoming destinations for continued growth. He has spent over a decade smashing stereotypes of aging and redefining the possibilities of older adulthood. He is also a retired, highly-decorated full colonel and former chief flight surgeon at the Air Force Surgeon General’s Office in Washington.
