Today was crisp and cold and the sky was this beautiful blue. I rode home on Freret and then turned on La Salle. I stopped to take a picture of this sign, which reads “Think That You Might Be Wrong.” I’ve seen these signs all over town, but I don’t know who put them up, or why. I had a really negative reaction to them when I first saw them. I mean, who does s/he think she is, telling me that I might be wrong? I mean, I know I might be wrong. The people in this place who need to think they might be wrong certainly aren’t driving down La Salle. Some people are always already wrong, and others never have to worry. So yes, my first reaction was defensive, because I don’t actually think I might be wrong–most of the time I assume I’m right, that my interpretations of experience are accurate, that I am who I think I am and I want what I think I want. I mean, I think that’s how we all operate. We can’t be questioning our reality all the time–we’ve got stuff to do. But the signs make a good point, and I’ve come to like them, because it seems to me that thinking we might be wrong might lead us to figure out how to be right, more often, how to be just, how to use fewer resources and make smarter choices about where money and stuff goes in this culture. So yes, think that you might be wrong; I will too, and maybe we can all start thinking a bit more critically.
I like the sign, too. I feel better when I consider the possibility. Jan very definitely reminds me of this option at least once a day. -Eileen
I like the sign too. It’s a succinct demand for me to check my impulses, question myself. I like it.
I think it is beautiful…It is a meditation I think we should all incorporate. Thank you.
Pingback: Think That You Might Be Wrong « New Orleans: A Bowl of Distinction
I find the signs presumptuous and annoying. They’re also illegal (like any plastic signs on telephone poles).
Your first reaction is kinda interesting 🙂
When I first saw one of them on Magazine Street I thought it was a small art installation. I still do, actually.
Stimulating..
Pingback: Graffiti at Race and Magazine « What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today
Pingback: Fuck Prisons Graffiti on Jeff Davis and I10 « What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today
I had somewhat of the same reaction at first, like wth? But the more I ponder over it the more I like it. At one time the best minds on the planet thought bloodletting was a good idea, and they didn’t think they were wrong. So, think that you might be wrong.
Does it have anything to do with the K Word?
Too many people interpret this sign too literally. Of course we all base our decisions and actions based on our own interpretation and reasoning. The sign only promotes an open mind and empty plate when approaching different ideas and the such. Living your life without biased decision making and impulsive action will show you more than you’ve ever thought could exists. Respect for others ideas is appreciated more than an ignorant rant you stand behind without reasoning.