# Some people have a problem with being proven wrong. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 4, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647 "2004-01-04T15:31:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/82 "2004-01-10T16:12:35Z")
If you were ever right, _I’d_ probably die from shock. I keed, I keed! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/83 "2004-01-11T01:08:43Z")
I knew an RN that didn’t know that cats have umbilical cords. She called my mom (an aspiring nurse herself) to tell her she thought something was wrong with the newborn kittens because they all had this stringy stuff on their bellies. My mom saw the kittens and told the RN what those things on the bellies were. RN seemed surprised “Cats have umbilical cords?” she said. My mom said “they are mammals. How do you think they survive in the uterus?” RN didn’t argue, but she was embarrassed. ---
**Author:** ![MemoryDump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@MemoryDump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryDump)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/84 "2004-01-11T06:22:10Z")
I had a prof for an upper division management seminar in college who was dangerously full of himself. In a classroom discussion I made the observation that a turboprop airplane engine was essentially a jet engine with a reduction gear and a propeller on the front. (Both are gas turbines). He ridiculed me for saying that and held that my assertion was ridiculous. That made me mad, so I went to the grade school curriculum section of the library and checked out a picture book that made my point with very simple pictures. I took it to the next class section and shared it with everyone, and made him look pretty silly. He won the battle, however. I earned an A, but he gave me one of the only two Bs I got my last two years of college (I deserved the other B, all other grades were As). Eventually he left teaching in the public university to be a Christian Missionary in Central America. I hope they didn’t kill him. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/85 "2004-01-12T03:30:47Z")
I wonder how common that kind of arrogance is among teachers and professors? What a jerk. Did you appeal the grade? ---
**Author:** ![Grelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a5b964/32.png) [@Grelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grelby)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/86 "2004-01-12T04:22:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Zamboni \* > \*\*I wonder how common that kind of arrogance is among teachers and professors? What a jerk. Did you appeal the grade? \*\* More common than you want to know, **The Great Zamboni{** (awesome handle, by the way!). This happened to me in third grade. My teacher and another teacher had decided to split the job of teaching about astronomy and geology (rocks, stars/constellations, were basically what we learned). My teacher taught the geology, the other teacher taught the astronomy. When it was my turn to learn astronomy, along with about half of each class, I guess the teacher decided to try out “teaching by inquiry.” We were learning about stars, and which ones were the hottest. She asked the class, “Which color stars do you think would be the hottest? The coldest?” (I’m paraphrasing). The class, unsurprisingly, answered that they believed that the red stars would be hotter, and the blue ones colder. Now, even then, I knew that the opposite was true, so I sat there rather smugly, expecting her to say something along the lines of “well, surprise, as it turns out, it’s the other way around.” Instead she said that, yes, that was correct! My first reaction was: :dubious: Then, 😕 And, finally, :rolleyes:. Well, despite the fairly strong indication that this teacher was an idiot (she had the book she was using to teach from _right there in her hands!_ WTF!?), I soldiered on. On my worksheets, I consistently answered that the red stars were the coolest, the blue ones the hottest, and the yellow ones in the middle. I consistently got marked wrong, but that was okay; I knew I was right. Fast forward to perhaps a week later, and the teacher is again teaching us as a group and flipping through the book, when she says “whoops!” Seems she had found the section of the book talking about the temperature of stars again, and realized that she was wrong. So she took all of 20 seconds to tell the class, well, it’s really the other way around, relearn it, everyone, and move on. Feeling vindicated, I approached her and asked if, since I was right all along, the work I had gotten wrong could be re-marked as correct. No, she told me, because I didn’t follow directions. I was furious then, and I still get angry thinking about it almost ten years later. Something about being tacitly told that I should just follow directions and blindly obey authority, regardless of whether is it is right or wrong, just kinda bothers me, you know? She was old; I hope this woman is no longer teaching, because that’s not a message I want children to be getting at any age level. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/87 "2004-01-16T17:16:36Z")
Originally posted by Grelby > [@](#): > > (awesome handle, by the way!). Hey, thanks. I’ve always thought so, too, but no one else has ever come out and said it. Last summer, I had a psychology teacher that only taught psychology for about the first twenty minutes of class, then spent the next two hours entertaining us, and trying to convince us that the entertainment had something to do with psychology. He was a good entertainer and was obviously skilled in his profession, but none of us could ever question his authority on world matters. Once, for some untold reason, he turned an entire class into a lecture on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said it was the Iraelis’ fault, but that’s not really the point. I wanted to know what it had to do with psychology, but I didn’t ask. If I had tried to question his opinions on Israel and Palestine, He would have shot me down. I had stopped caring when the class became so easy that I almost didn’t need to go to pass. What I did learn about psychology in that class, I could have easily learned from Discover magazine. Anyway, The Teacher was never wrong, according to himself. That’s really the only bad experience I have ever had with a teacher in college. (what does psychology have to do with Business Management, my degree?). ---
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/88 "2004-01-16T18:05:22Z")
I have a problem with someone who ALWAYS questions what I say. Then, when I produce evidence to back my story up, the response is “Oh, you always have to be right, don’t you!” ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/89 "2004-01-16T18:16:55Z")
the memories. oy. long-lost (thankfully) stepdad came up with a doozy once. we were talking about a family friend who was doing something like giving riding lessons, and the issue of what she was charging came up. many years (and only semi-subconcious efforts to obliterate past events) have dulled my recall of the exact issue, but it was a pretty simple math computation, something like “she charges $70 for a week’s worth of lessons, but charges $15 for a single day’s riding lesson.” he could NOT be convinced that she wasn’t losing money in a big way when she gave a single day’s lesson. of course, arguing with a drunk is fruitless at the best of times. then there was a former boyfriend who would not be convinced that it was possible to see the moon in daylight. despite giving him the testimony of my own two eyes as having witnessed this event, he persisted in arguing that “the moon is only visible because of the earthlight that is reflected off it, and no earthlight could be reflected during the daytime.” :rolleyes: i wondered to myself how he could be outdoors-y enough to have his own small sailboat but still be unobservant enough to miss a reasonably common astronomical event like the moon being up during daylight hours. just another drop in the bucket as to why he wound up an “ex”. ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/90 "2004-01-16T18:20:09Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > About the water: pure water is neutral. (Do I need to find a cite.) However rainwater is iirc slightly acidic due to impurities (eg. a small amount of CO2 dissolving on the way down I think, even before acid rain). I wouldn’t be surprised if tap water was too. Typical rain water is somewhat acidic, but water in an area with limestone (which is alkaline) will be more basic, so it depends where you live and where you get your water from. This matters a lot if you are a fish, but I don’t know about people. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/91 "2004-01-17T01:13:32Z")
> [@lachesis](#): > > it was a pretty simple math computation, something like “she charges $70 for a week’s worth of lessons, but charges $15 for a single day’s riding lesson.” > > he could NOT be convinced that she wasn’t losing money in a big way when she gave a single day’s lesson. Um, I don’t get it. Even if she only works five days a week, 5 times $15 is still $75. How is she losing money on a single day lesson? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/92 "2004-01-17T01:30:22Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Um, I don’t get it. Even if she only works five days a week, 5 times $15 is still $75. How is she losing money on a single day lesson? I thought she WASN’T losing money on a single day lesson, but step-dad thought she WAS and lachesis tried and failed to convince him otherwise. Lachesis: is that right? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/93 "2004-01-17T02:51:36Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > “Dude, you got ripped off. I see them at Sears and all over the place for $50 or $60 bucks.” > > “Dude, those are just “PLAYERS”, not “RECORDERS”. This was the cheapest recorder on the market.” > > “Dude, you’re a sucker. I’m telling you they’re everywhere for under $100.” > > … > > Oh. My. Gawd. I just want to scream. If he comes round again, offer to buy one from him for a $150. It’s a win-win situation. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/94 "2004-01-17T03:14:13Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > How in the FUCK is that possible when the TV-to-DVD recorder is $400? I’ll give it a whack: A DVD burner can be cheaper because you don’t need these things: power supply (uses the PC’s) specialized case (uses standard issue cases used by CD drives for years) remote control (all controls come from the software) digital display (see above) control software & associated chips/boards (again the software handles all this) Kinda makes you wonder how much profit is made on a $499 stand-alone! ---
**Author:** ![pinkus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pinkus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/95 "2004-01-17T03:45:12Z")
I’m sure if I was wrong, however unlikely, I would accept this clearly hypothetical situation with my usual aplomb… ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647/96 "2004-01-17T05:59:24Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > I thought she WASN’T losing money on a single day lesson, but step-dad thought she WAS and lachesis tried and failed to convince him otherwise. > > Lachesis: is that right? Doh! I misread the word “wasn’t” as “was”. Never mind… :o [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-have-a-problem-with-being-proven-wrong/222647.md?page=4)