Description

Yesterday I was wrong.

In  all the excitement of prepping for the 100th episode of the Good  Morning Goldendale podcast, I had gone to my bookmarked sources of data  from the CDC and the World Health Organization. The WHO website was  experiencing issues and presented a redirect link. I clicked the link,  nabbed the numbers, and ran the calculations -- then I ran my mouth.

Claiming  that the U.S. accounted for over half of the world's covid deaths just  sounded so good, commonsense escaped me for the moment. I wasn't until I  actually listened to the podcast that I realized how wrong I was -- and I knew I was wrong, because I've been following these numbers since the start of the pandemic.

Thus,  I rushed to correct the issue, write an apology, and present the proper  calculations. The U.S. accounts for about 16% of the total covid deaths  -- which is much less than half the world's deaths, but still  disproportionately high given we are only 4% of the world's population,  and we spend more money on healthcare than any other nation.

I chose not to take down the original podcast for a few different reasons:

1. Because  the episode was already broadcast across multiple platforms, people had  already listened and read, and the email was already sitting in  people's inboxes -- thus, the mistake was already made public and  couldn't be taken back.
2. Realizing it was such a glaringly  obvious mistake stung. I wanted to crawl into a hole, but what good  would that do? I'm human, I make mistakes, and I must own up to it.  That's why I issued the corrections and apology, with a desire to make  it right.
3. This was also a learning opportunity for me,  and for the audience. Always stay curious, always question the facts,  always check the references -- this mindset drives my research, but it  doesn't mean the facts I find are infallible.

Hence the humble pie!

In Monday morning's podcast, Ep. 97 - Have We All Been Deceived?, I  tip-toed into a discussion about questioning personal beliefs, which is  a challenging exercise in humility. We all believe that we are right --  but can we admit when we are wrong? How can I expect someone else to  question their convictions, if I'm not willing to question my own? How  can I expect someone else to question their facts, if I'm not willing to  question my own?

Reflecting on the course of the week, reeling  from my big mistake, all of a sudden it felt appropriate that my 100th  podcast, of which I felt so proud, would ultimately dash my ego against  the rocks of reality. Here was my chance to "practice what you preach"  and lead by example. Rather than try to conceal the mistake, I chose to  embrace it.

Corrections and apologies were made, lessons were  learned, and at the end of the day, the world kept turning. As I soaked  in a sunbeam on this beautiful Friday morning, contemplating today's  conversation, the following thought came to mind:

When life serves you humble pie, it's best to savor the flavor.

We grow wiser when we do, and we grow together when we share these lessons with others.

Enjoying this podcast?

Please Like, Subscribe, & Share!