The FNG wants change, because change brings growth—and growth means loosening the grip on always being right. On the Farm, we plant in fertile soil, not concrete; soil moves and breathes, making space for life, while concrete is static, barren, and unyielding. To grow, the FNG needs fertile ground to nurture new ideas, even when that means being wrong.
Truth or Being Right?
Is it more important to discover the truth, or to prove that we’re always right? The FNG chooses truth. Being “right” feeds the ego, but truth feeds growth.
When we cling to being right, we stop listening and learning. When we chase truth, we stay curious, open, and strong—even when the truth shows us we were wrong.
The Problem With Always Needing to Be Right
Most of us like to think we’ve got life figured out. It feels safe. Comfortable. Like walking the same path every day—familiar and easy. But here’s the catch: when we expect to be right all the time, we shut the door on discovery.
Arrogance steals our chance to learn. It shields us from challenge and puts us in a bubble where no one dares question us. In that bubble, we stop growing.
And when reality finally proves us wrong? If our whole identity depends on always being right, the fall is hard.
The FNG knows that being wrong isn’t failure—it’s feedback.
Why Being Wrong Makes Us Stronger
The strange thing about being wrong is that it makes us better. A wrong turn on a run shows us a new route. Wrong beliefs help sharpen our thinking when we face new evidence.
On the Farm, crops don’t grow in concrete. They need soil that bends with the weather and gives space for roots. Our minds work the same way—flexible, ready to adapt, always open to growth.
Is our purpose in life simply to keep proving what we already know? If we’re always right, why read, explore, or meet new people?
A true explorer is more curious than certain. Curiosity asks, what don’t I know yet? Certainty insists, I already know everything.
Certainty builds walls. Curiosity opens gates. When we stay curious, we bend with life’s changes instead of snapping against them—like a tree that can flex in the wind.
As political neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod puts it:
“People with low intellectual humility will often react defensively when contradicted.”
Arrogance and Rigid Belief
Having strong beliefs isn’t the issue. The trouble starts when we can’t adapt. If our whole sense of self is built on being right, even one challenge can break us.
Think of a concrete path. It looks firm and solid, but over time cracks appear. Roots and rain break through. In the end, its strength becomes its weakness.
Soil, on the other hand, is alive and giving. It changes with the seasons but always remains fertile. The Farm shows us that real strength lies in being adaptable, not rigid.
What’s Wrong With Expecting to Be Wrong?
It sounds odd, but expecting to be wrong is freeing. It means every chat can be a chance to learn, not a fight to win. It takes away the pressure of always having the last word.
When we expect to be wrong, we listen better. We learn faster. We stop clinging to certainty and start welcoming change.
It also protects our wellbeing. If happiness depends on being right all the time, we’re bound for disappointment. But if we see being wrong as part of growth, we handle challenges more calmly.
Balancing Humility and Confidence
Humility isn’t weakness. It’s knowing the limits of what we know. Confidence is trusting that we’ll find a way forward.
Too much humility, and we hesitate too much. Too much confidence, and we miss the warning signs.
The FNG aims for balance: bold enough to move, open enough to admit mistakes.
How to Practise Being Wrong
Here are some simple ways to make peace with being wrong:
- Invite Challenge – Ask others to question your ideas. It sharpens them.
- Listen Deeply – When someone proves you wrong, resist the urge to argue. Take it in.
- See Mistakes as Lessons – Every mistake is a chance to learn.
- Stay Curious – Read, explore, and try new things. Curiosity beats arrogance.
- Remember the Farm – Growth happens in soil, not concrete. Stay flexible.
Living With Flexible Views
Life isn’t about defending the walls of what we already know. It’s about opening the field to new discoveries.
Flexible views don’t mean weak values. They mean being ready to adapt when the evidence changes. Like crops in the field, we need roots—but we also need to sway with the wind.
If certainty is the end of curiosity, then being wrong is the start of wisdom.
What Will It Take for You to Change Your Mind?
For the FNG, change starts with a simple question: what if I’m wrong? It’s not a threat, but an opening. An opening to listen more, learn more, and grow more. The Farm reminds us that soil must move to feed new roots. Minds are no different. So what would it take for you to shift, to bend, to rethink? The answer might be the first step towards real growth.
And the next time you’re wrong, smile. You’re not failing. You’re farming.
