People who always 'need' to be right are an incredible drain of energy. Here's a nifty exercise.

I learned this from Conscious Leadership. This exercise will take 5 minutes.

Step 1

"Think of a simple mathematical equation you know to be true." Most people say "1 + 1 = 2."

"How much would you fight to defend this belief?" Not very much — because everyone knows that 1 + 1 = 2 and fighting against someone who doesn't believe that is pointless.

Step 2

"Now think of something at work/home that you believe to be true." Example: "I know better than Alex about how to run a marketing campaign."

"How much are you willing to fight for this belief?" If honest — a lot.

The reason for this disparity: you have confidence that billions of people agree that "1 + 1 = 2." With the Alex marketing example, you don't have that confidence. Your value and credibility is at risk.

What you actually want is not to be right, it's to be seen as being right. It's all about the ego. Whenever you notice yourself or others fighting to be right, step back and acknowledge that human brains are wired to seek security and control.

If you have a culture where people spend less time trying to be seen as being right, then you have a culture where people are spending more time on learning.