Admitting Error

Well, I did something the other day for the first time. Brace yourself, it's confession time! I was reading an article online by an Associated Press sports columnist. In it, he made a statement that I felt was inaccurate. It just didn't add up. It bothered me. I couldn't sleep at night. Nah, it wasn't that bad. But I did decide I couldn't let it go unaddressed - so I fired off an e-mail to him and let him know my thoughts.

My approach was to make sure this writer knew that I appreciated his work. In fact, I told him his article was excellent. However, I did point out the statement in question and explained that I felt it was way off base. I used facts to illustrate my point.

Later that day, I got a response. I must admit to being a little nervous upon opening the e-mail. This was a fellow who writes professionally. It would have been easy for him to say something along the lines of "I'm entitled to my opinion" or "Who do you think you are to criticize me?" Honestly, I wasn't sure if if I'd receive a response at all. His e-mail reply said he was thankful for my note and agreed with me that the statement I questioned was careless.

You know....my respect for this guy went way up. In the world we live in, few people admit error. Folks are quick to point a finger of blame in any direction. It's refreshing to know that there are people who will put pride aside and say "I messed up." We fail to realize the respect we can gain from others by doing so.