Do you like it when people correct you?

[CylieDanny]

You know, like when your having a conversation with someone and they correct your wording.

Or your getting corrected by someone for silly or mistakes in general. Like if your trying to talk about the plot of a movie, but doing it so poorly in their eyes, that they just explain it for you.

All in all. How do you feel about people correcting you. Do you like it? Mind it? Does it bother you? I have a friend who says it lowers his self of esteem when people correct even the smallest things he was saying

But what about you?

 

[Alolan_Apples]

I’m usually on the giving end of this, but when I’m on the receiving end, I do get annoyed. Especially if I’m being called out on being insensitive or not politically correct enough. But sometimes, it helps when I don’t have enough knowledge.

 

[Croconaw]

I think it highly depends on both what is being corrected and how it’s being corrected. You can correct someone without being condescending and demeaning. I’m absolutely terrible at explaining certain things so I will welcome someone with better explanation skills to jump in, but they can do so without demeaning me in the process.

I understand most people are sensitive to being corrected but I believe most of the sensitivity comes from the how.

 

[ali.di.magix]

If it's a small, insignificant thing then yes it does bother me. As long as the other person understands what I'm trying to get at, I don't see a need to be meticulously corrected. Or if it's said in a condescending way, it drives me mad.

Outside of those situations, it doesn't really bother me. I have a tendency to be sensitive to criticism though.

 

[nightglow]

Yes I like it. I think it is important to be helpful.

 

[Seastar]

This doesn't usually happen to me but I'm pretty sure when it does it just kills the mood for me entirely. I feel like way more often I'm the one correcting myself, though. (Clearly I don't trust myself)
Like some others have mentioned, it also matters how they do it. Chances are I might have no memory of recent corrections because it wasn't done in a way that upset me. Actually, I can't trust that I remember the bad ones, either. Whoops.

 

[Chris]

It depends. If someone's motives are well-intentioned and their corrections are helpful then I've no issue with that. If they're just looking to berate someone or being pedantic then I consider it rude.

 

[Goldi Locks]

People do this to me sometimes, usually for political correctness. But only really online or if I'm hanging out somewhere a bit fancier, where people tend to have more time to get concerned over such minor things. I tend to ignore it and continue as I was.

 

[VanitasFan26]

Admittly yes because sometimes its like some people can gaslight you into thinking what you're say is wrong. This has happened to me so many times that I find myself really getting annoyed most of the time. That is why I don't like small talk.

 

[Midoriya]

"Like" is a weird word for it, but I do think it's necessary in order to gain knowledge and grow as a person, so I'm fine with it when people correct me. People who aren't open-minded aren't likely to grow as much as a person who is.

That being said, it doesn't usually happen that often anymore. Like Alolan_Apples, I'm usually on the giving side of this just because I notice a lot of mistakes that people make and want to point it out before it becomes an error in what they were trying to do and a foregone conclusion.

 

[Beanz]

depends on their tone. like if I’m talking about a movie, i often can’t remember parts of the plot but it depends on their tone of voice and HOW they correct me. obviously “umm.. ACTUALLY this, this and this happened ya gold fish brain, i can’t believe you didn’t get it ” would annoy me. but if they actually took the time to talk about the plot and explain it to me it wouldn’t.

 

[boring]

I have 'Rejection Semsitive Dysphoria' as a side-effect of a multitude of things, namely ADHD, so even the most helpful and well-intended correction feel like I'm ragdoll-ing down a flight of stairs. Very frustrating because oftentimes these instances where I'm corrected are innocent/humerous/necessary but my brain just goes '????'. Like the 'Ethic aren't ethical??????' robot from Inside Job that self-destructs when it contradicts itself by accident. Yeah.

 

[.: Meri :.]

As long as it's not done condescendingly/just to be pedantic, then it's fine I guess. I'll admit it's a bit of a pet peeve if I'm trying to tell a story or talk about something, and someone interrupts me to correct a small detail that really wasn't at all relevant.

Like, sometimes it can be helpful and good, but there's definitely other times where it's more belittling than anything.

 

[LadyDestani]

Like others have said, it depends what they're correcting and how. I never mind being corrected if it's something that will help me grow and learn or do my job better. But if I'm just trying to tell a story in a conversation with friends and I keep being corrected about the miniscule irrelevant details, then it can be pretty annoying. This doesn't usually happen to me, but I hate it when I'm listening to someone tell a story and they keep being interrupted over things that don't matter. My dad was really bad about doing this to my mom and then she would lose her whole train of thought.

So I say pick your times. If it's important, then go ahead and correct me, but don't be nit-picky just for the sake of it.

 

[rosefairy]

Hmmm it's a lot like others have mentioned above for me-- it depends a lot on the context and tone the correction is being given in. Like if I ever say something that unintentionally hurts someone's feelings or I'm misinformed about a certain topic I would prefer to be told so that I can learn and grow as a person. Even if I don't initially understand, an honest and constructive conversation will give me something to think about / help me better understand the person I'm talking to.

If I'm ever in a social or professional situation where I'm not aware that I'm doing something awkward / pronouncing something wrong, I do appreciate being told if I'm approached about it in private. Sometimes other people will observe things that I just can't see myself and it can be helpful to know when the topic's brought up gently. I might feel a little embarrassed initially, but it's nice to feel like someone's looking out for me so I don't make a fool of myself.

Among groups of family and friends there's a line between being on the receiving end of some light, harmless teasing and feeling like someone is pointing out a mistake specifically to embarrass me. There are some people where I'll feel comfortable enough to laugh at myself along with them because of something silly I've done-- it'll roll right off my shoulders and it's no biggie. Then there are other groups of people where it feels more like I'm being mocked for a mistake or a nervous tic of mine and I just want to crawl into my shell.

I do agree that it can be annoying to be interrupted in the middle of telling a story or something like that-- especially if it happens repeatedly. If someone wants to backtrack to point out a pronunciation mistake after I've finished talking, I don't mind that quite so much. The timing and tone matters a lot in those instances.

 

[VernalLapin]

eh, it can be a bit irritating i guess but it’s not the worst. i try to avoid correcting people about things like english pronunciation and grammar because i feel like it’s rude if they didn’t ask for it. idk if this counts but i think the closest thing i do is repeat what they said if i don’t understand it, that’s a habit I have. i guess that counts? either way, i try to be respectful as possible unless they ask for help with english.

 

[thatawkwardkid]

I don't mind as long as it's not nitpicky, excessive, or about something I already know about.

 

[Kitsuragi]

no because i'm always right /s

doesn't matter to me as long as they're not being condescending about it. i don't want to be "errrm achkshually'd " every time i breathe, but if i say something wrong or if i just dont have my facts straight then i'd rather someone correct me so i don't look like an idiot

 

[Sheando]

I think it depends on whether my mistake actually matters. For example, I work at a library. If I'm helping a patron and I say something outdated because I missed an email about a shelving change or something, then I definitely want my coworker to jump in and say "actually, we moved the new DVDs to the 4th floor last week!" Or if I'm having a conversation with friends about a human rights issue and everyone is speaking in good faith, then I think someone saying "I don't agree with your perspective; here are my concerns" to be totally within bounds.

If I say something that isn't technically 100% correct but everybody else knows what I mean and somebody is jumping in just to be smug and trying to get me to admit I was wrong, then that feels more like an attempt to score a Conversation Point and I don't love that. Also, being "corrected" about something where I have way more knowledge or lived experience feels, um, a little aggravating.

 

[Mairmalade]

If I say or do something that warrants correcting, I want to know about it, and would hope/expect the individual to do it respectfully (e.g.: privately say something like "I noticed you've been saying 'x,' when it should be 'y' because.."

I respond well to things that are done calmly, privately, and with explanation.

I do not respond well to aggression, nor things that are done in a condescending or belittling way.