Correcting People?

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Ugh two days ago this as*hole was wrong about something and I looked it up to be sure he was wrong and he was. Each state had their own laws about child labor and he said it was the same in all states. It drove me crazy because I didn't correct him. Then the next day I saw he was banned and I felt happy. He was just annoying, someone who loves to argue and he was wrong most of the time and he always thought he was right. he used to throw insults and do name calling when people wouldn't agree with him and then he cut back on it but he still got banned. Either he was a troll or just a typical black and white thinker who didn't argue in a right way.

But he was never worth an argument. This was the same person who thought ADHD was made up and sensory issues

Sometimes I still correct people online when they get grammar or punctuation wrong or if they so something wrong online. I have a habit of correcting people online because I am really good at details and things always need to be specific for me.

Once, we took a field trip to DC and got a tour of the Pentagon. The Admiral (or whatever he was) was calling out names (got most of them wrong) and I almost commented that he pronounced a name incorrectly when a girl sitting next to me whispered, "Don't correct him."

I try to stop myself, but sometimes I can’t and I launch into a ridiculously long explanation.

I know people think it is obnoxious to be corrected by someone but sometimes I just can't help it. Especially if they are talking about something like they are the world's leading expert and I know their facts are WRONG... and sometimes I just can't get past the idea that if I was spouting incorrect information about something and making myself look like a complete fool I'd want someone to correct me and so I'm doing the person a favor even if they can't appreciate it at the moment. I can't stand to watch someone publically humilate themselves, and that's often how I perceive it. Definetely one of my major social skill fails.

Hehe, that's something I have real difficulties with. I wouldn't want to be corrected myself but it seems to me that others would want to know about their mistake not to repeat it again (yeah... no). Usually I can stop myself but apparently not always, as right now we have a post-it on our fridge with me correcting the spelling of one Italian word in our common schedule. Maybe I should take it off, it's been a couple of days.

I correct people automatically, I had a boss who actually appreciated it if only slightly (he knew I was trying to be helpful)

Oh yeah, its such a bad habit of mine. Even in the most trivial of things and the smallest details, I want to make sure that I hear correct statements.

Lately though I've been pushing myself not to correct people if its relatively minor and insignificant. I just nod and go on like it is no big deal.

I can understand the feeling. I get really fussy about right and wrong; I get PO'd at myself whenever I forget to do my research, which happens quite a bit. But, y'know, people really don't like being corrected. They don't like feeling wrong. I wouldn't fault them for it, though--I'm guilty of it myself.

Unless it's absolutely essential that they know their facts, leave them be. If it's a casual conversation, then making corrections will disrupt the flow. It's gotta flow, man. (:

I do it constantly.

The first time I ever did it that I was conscious of, I was about 12. I come from a medical family. I was at the grocery store with my grandmother. She was talking to the manager about his back surgery, and his other myriad medical problems. He referred to the "antesthetist" putting him under. I spoke up. I said "You had other problems and weren't general surgery so you probably had an anesthiologist not an ansethistist which is a CRNA, and a nurse. You had a doctor." My grandmother told me up and down for that there. Then told me later to keep my mouth shut when I thought people got things wrong.

I didn't though.

I'm aware of the spelling problem above. I used to be very good at spelling but now I'm not, and I also sometimes forget words. I'm afraid it's something bad, but hope it's not.

Frances