Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Being Wrong - Chapter 2: Two Models of Wrongness

[Being Wrong]

"To err is to wander, and wandering is the way we discover the world" (42). --K. Schulz

In chapter 2 of Being Wrong, Kathryn Schulz discusses pessimistic and optimistic models of error. She explains that the optimistic model is often "harder to recognize around us, since it is forever being crowded out by the nosier notion that error is dangerous, demoralizing, and shameful" (27). 

Schulz makes several claims about the vital interplay of optimistic and pessimistic models of error. Of the ideas she raises in the chapter, what did you find most fascinating and why? 

14 comments:

Tashawna Nash said...

Of the ideas that were proposed in the chapter, the one that I found to be most fascinating was the idea that from error springs insight. I found this most interesting because as much as we hate being wrong, being wrong is a way of learning from our mistakes. As K. Schulz says on page 40, our errors lead us to the truth or they lead us astray, I prefer to believe that my errors will lead me to the truth which is why the idea that error springs from insight is fascinating to me.
~Tashawna N.

Unknown said...

The claim that I find most interesting is "that from error springs insight". I was always told to learn from my mistakes and I do. They help me become better. I also believe that errors do lead you closer to the truth, so I would say that I like the optimistic side of wrongness.

Aja J said...


When talking about madness Schulz says that in many societies people believed the insane revealed the truth about the world around them, despite the way they may act or seem. I found this idea the most fascinating because it some circumstances I believe this is actually the case. It really stood out when Schulz pointed out that in literature the fool is usually the one to speak of the truth.

Anonymous said...

The idea that I found the most interesting was Schulz notion that fear "acts as a kind of omnipurpose coagulant, hardening heart and mind, chilling our relationships with other people, and cooling our curiosity about the world". I agree with Schulz that fear holds us back from doing what we want to do freely. We fear ridicule, punishment, or being shunned for mistakes we may make.
***Brittany P.

Anonymous said...

The concept i find the most interesting is the error springs insight. My teacher was just lecturing us on how he wants us to be willing to give the wrong answer in class so we can learn from the mistake. The lecture and this concept went hand in hand.
Sydney J.

Unknown said...

The idea that stuck with me after reading this chapter was his claim "that from error springs insight", in other words he is saying learn from your mistakes. This stayed with me because my mother was a firm believer in allowing me to learn from my mistakes. Especially since as a kids I thought that I knew everything and that I was always right.
Sierra L.

Unknown said...

The idea I found most fascinating was that "error springs insight". I have had many experiences where I've made mistakes but learning from them was most beneficial for me.

Brianna Reed said...

The idea of Schultz that stuck in my mind was "the power of introspection is a comparatively new acquisition of the human race". I found this interesting because introspection is basically analyzing or evaluating one's self and their own actions. I have always been taught that before judging any other person or their actions I need to take a look at myself and think about what i'm doing. For it to be said that this is a relatively "new acquisition" or practice infers that we as human being rarely take that time to step back and reflect on ourselves.

Unknown said...

I found "from error springs insight" to be the most fascinating theory. The way I thought about it was when you know you mess up (if you do not give up) you learn from your mistake and try to better yourself.

Anonymous said...

I think that the overall concept that ties the chapter together was my favorite idea. As humans, we strive for perfection. However, the things we consider wrong or mistakes are the things that truly give us insight and understanding about how the world works. We should be excited to learn from those things instead of fearing them.
-Taylor Morgan

Anonymous said...

The idea that I found to be the best was from error springs insight. I find this to be the best because no one enjoys being wrong. I used to always say i'm never wrong i'm always right but I know that being wrong is not always a bad thing.
****Anita Jackson***

Unknown said...

I find the concept error springs insight very interesting. It reminds me of my music instructor. He would tell us to play wrong and strong when he gave us new pieces of music that way he could help if you were playing setting incorrectly. It is a great way to learn.

Unknown said...

One of the most fascinating idea is that we have come to believe in the error model where human achievement happens by eliminating mistakes altogether. I think for people to believe in that is completely ignorant. In classes like chemistry, you learn that achieving no human error is impossible. The solution should not be focused on eradicating human error but instead honing in on it and focusing on accuracy and consistency. Once that happen, human error will be reduced to the point where the error is not significant enough.

Alicia Sears said...

The point I found most interesting was Schulz perception about how we receive the wisdom of error. I found this the most interesting because often time we do not allow ourselves to grow from our mistakes but instead beat ourselves up. I also found this interesting because there have been relationships that Ive seen be ruined because someone did not want to admit they were wrong.