Let the righteous correct me, it will be an oil of kindness on my head - King David.
When a person is corrected, there can be one of the following responses:
- Anger - Maybe because we don't like being wrong or we don't think the person should be telling us what to do, often because we're too proud.
- Sadness - We feel bad about messing up, but that doesn't always mean we're ready to change.
- Acceptance and repentance.
One attitude I've seen boys exhibit when corrected is sadness. They feel sad and sink into their little corner. This is a wrong attitude to correction, and while it may seem remorseful, the person will likely make the same mistake again.
The right attitude to correction is acceptance and repentance:
- Accept that you are wrong
- Decide never to make the same mistake again and set proper guides to ensure that.
No one is perfect, and correction does not always feel nice. However, a person's attitude to correction will affect whether such correction yields the right fruit or not.
Having the right attitude to correction does 2 things:
- It shows the person who corrected you that you're open to learning, making it more likely for the person to guide you right in the future.
- It makes it easy for you to learn and not make that mistake again.
So, correction is meant to make us better, if we have the right attitude.
About Abiodun Sulaiman
Abiodun is a Christian and a Dad. On this blog, I document some of my interactions with my sons as I seek to raise them to be great men who love God and build great societies.