CuriouslyRandom - Reminds me of the famous phrase "Would I rather be right or happy?" Thanks for bringing this up. I've noticed the same thing and have just recently mentioned it on the forum.
It seems to me that when we were kids, we started trading our authenticity for a need to be right - swapped our internal for external validation, wanting to be approved of, accepted by others, belong. With our indoctrination in school, culture, family, it doesn't suprise me.
And the need to be right can go very deep and be very subtle, especially around people who have had psychological/spiritual background, because our jargon can be used to hide/mask our need to be right. I've watched people agrue even though they know they are right, and even when the facts don't support it.
I've spent years delving into this, not just for myself, but to help others see and accept themselves, and just yesterday I caught myself in a need to be right with someone on this forum. ha! Well, at least I'm catching it when it happens so the damage is less.
I feel so strongly about this, that part of my work is to bring us back to our authentic selves so that we have a more effortless life in every way - relationships, career, everything.
I feel that the need to be right is at the heart of all arguments, conflicts, many relationship break ups, religious conflicts, and wars. I've noticed that the more I fully accept and acknowledge myself, and the more I can see everyone and everything as sacred, the less I need others to agree with me. In fact, the less I perceive something as a compliment or an insult.
But in the spirit of this thread....I'm willing to be wrong about all of that.
Thanks again for posting this thread!