Originally Posted by honeypig

This definitely is a thing for me. I grew up in a household where my stepfather regularly called my mother, my siblings and I "stupid idiots." I believe that that's where I got the belief that if only I was "right" all the time, then no one could belittle me or yell at me. They'd have to treat me well, b/c dammit, I was RIGHT!

I'm now learning how false and wrong all of that was and is. I'm trying to get OK w/making mistakes, both my own and those of others, understanding that it's all part of growing. Along those lines, I posted the following in another thread:

I had been thinking I would like a cordless lawnmower, maybe--easier to start, less noise...

I saw one on craigslist, checked the price new, checked online reviews, and went to see it. All seemed good, so I bought it and will try it when things dry out around here. But in the interim, several people have pointed out downsides to it, and now I'm second-guessing myself, "oh, crap, was that a mistake? What if it was?"

I talked to my brother on the phone today and told him all this. Bless his heart, he said "and so if you don't like it, put it back on craigslist! Consider that you rented it and now you're returning it!"

What a revelation--I could try it out and see if it works! And if not, I can end the relationship! Granted, it's only a lawnmower, but hey, it's a beginning, right?

I emailed my bro and thanked him for what he said. I felt good about doing that, too. Sometimes this "learning stuff" is hard and feels icky, but sometimes it really feels good!