With a bad attitude, I can be on the wrong side of right.
I can be right, absolutely right and completely wrong. The attitude makes all the difference. It is wrong to angrily demand what is right, to judge and condemn even when right, to lecture, hector and nag on the side of virtue.
These attitudes stiffen and entrench resistance; it is suboptimal to create resistance to what is right.
Even if you change your listener, it is short-term. It doesn’t foster understanding, which would ensure a longer-term embracing of the right. The person complies to stop the noise. And compliance ends when the noise ends.
A bad attitude puts me on the wrong side of right, and that makes being right less effective. A better attitude would mean a better result.
And being angry and difficult tarnishes the world. The world becomes less pleasant, less kind, and less generous. The negative influence of angry and difficult people ripples far beyond, affecting the entire world with surprising power. It’s a global issue, not just a personal one.
A bad attitude makes the world a less pleasant place, regardless of the rightness of my position.
Further, a bad attitude can result in the right being rejected. As a result of my bad attitude the wrong result is obtained.
Being angry and difficult is not just wrong in the moment; it has lasting negative effects. The negative effects of a bad attitude linger long after the noise has stopped.
I must be careful not to be on the wrong side of right.
Being right is not enough; it is better to be on the right side of right.
Related posts
From Frank Amos and his report to John Rockefeller in 1938
Forgiveness: A Spiritual Virtue and Practical Tool
