Have the Character to Admit Mistakes

A person who feels he must always be right in an argument may be manifesting a lack of self-esteem. Such a person could be telling himself, "Unless I am always right, I am a failure and a nobody." He fears to admit making a mistake, because he thinks it will lower his value as a person.

However, a person who is a truth seeker and readily admits his mistakes, will gain both the respect of others and will ultimately have more self-respect. Instead of looking at admitting mistakes as a sign of weakness, he looks at it as a sign of intellectual honesty.