I thought that I was wrong once, but I was merely mistaken.

OK, so here's my theory;

Most of us retain our beliefs, even when confronted with new facts, not out of stubbornness or ignorance, but out of pride. We don't want to admit when we've been wrong, regardless of the facts or truth.

Granted, this is not a very brilliant insight into the human condition, but there is a very important distinction here between being wrong and remaining in a state of denial. I feel pity for those who are just wrong, including myself. I try to feel relief when I'm confronted with facts, but find that my first reaction is embarrassment for not knowing something. I feel contempt for those, including myself, who willfully disregard truth and continue to act as if they were still ignorant of those facts.

Alex