We once believed we couldn’t fly! What do you believe that is keeping you grounded?

Everything you know is wrong, Are you OK with that?

This is a statement that I have been toying with for some time.  Am I okay with the fact that everything I know is wrong?

I think this is something we all have to be OK with.  And big letters OK.

If we believe that we are right, we limit what we see in the world.  When we thought we were the center of the universe we saw things from that perspective.  When we learned that we are just part of a bigger system it shifted our perspective and allowed for all types of innovation to take place.  We we thought that man could not fly, it kept us grounded.

I think as innovators, designers, and leaders, we need to really think about this question.  What are we currently wrong about?  Are you still working with the same distribution system?  Is it still the best way to do things?  Are you still designing for the same market?

This is a very uncomfortable place.  We learn very young that being right is rewarded.  Think of our children as they give us the right answer as they point to their ear, eye, nose, etc.  We as parents reward them with the smile on our face and the nod of our head in approval.  As we move through our careers, the more we are “right” the better chance we have at promotions and success.

So how can being proven wrong help us out?  Well, I want to be wrong about how I drive a car today.  Someday, I want an auto pilot system that is much more infallible than I am, to drive me around, so I am free to day-dream as I get to my daily errands.  I want to be wrong about our current education system.   I no longer think that there is only one way to educate our children and that the best place and way to do that happens in a brick building in my local community.

I now want to be proved wrong about everything I know.  And I do really mean everything.  I am sure that in the future there will be a better way to do everything that I am currently doing.  The only way that anyone can find the future is to question the now.

What are you wrong about? If you assume you are wrong, what other possibilities can you see?