You can’t always be right. It’s easy to assume that you know the answer, but when you find out that you were wrong, you must be sure to handle it gracefully. After all, everybody is wrong once in a while.
While some people try to act like they’re right no matter what, those people are exhausting to be around, and they all tend to have a fragile ego.
Instead, when you learn that you gave someone incorrect information, you should own up to the fact and admit to your mistake. We live in such a detail-oriented world that mistakes are inevitable.
When you learn that you weren’t correct about something, instead of feeling embarrassed or trying to argue the fact, you can just say “I stand corrected.”
In this quick guide, you’ll come to understand the meaning of this phrase, how to use it, when to use it, and its history.
What Does “I Stand Corrected” Mean?
When someone learns that they were wrong about something, they will say “I stand corrected” to indicate that the new information is correct. When you say this phrase, you’re acknowledging that you were wrong and have been given better information. It is a way to express humility, and it will show everybody else that the new information is more reliable. This phrase is often used in debates, at work, and among people who respect one another.
How to Use The Phrase “I stand corrected”
This phrase is humble and respectful. Make sure to use it when you’re fairly certain that a new piece of information is more correct than what you may have previously stated or thought.
Naturally, you shouldn’t use this phrase if you truly believe that you were right, so it’s important to consider the source of the new information.
If you were to say that the heart is where you digest food but were corrected by a doctor, then there’s a good chance that the doctor was right, so this phrase would be appropriate.
However, in a situation where you are not confident that the other party knows what they’re talking about, it may be better to somebody else or say that you’ll look it up.
The following examples can help you better understand this phrase in context.
Sanjay: The bus should arrive in one hour.
Ulrich: I just looked up the schedule. It’s actually going to arrive in two hours.
Sanjay: I see. It looks like I stand corrected. Thank you for double-checking. Ulrich: No problem. Until I just checked, I had also thought that it was going to arrive in one hour.
In this example, Sanjay was wrong about when the bus would arrive, but Ulrich looked it up, found better information, and corrected him.
Instead of going on the defensive or insisting that he was right, he simply said the phrase and thanked Ulrich.
Therefore, Ulrich reassured him that his mistake was no big deal; he didn’t make fun of him for being wrong.
Being humble and open to new information is much better than always assuming that you’re right. The next example will show that people aren’t always right when they correct you.
Dianna: Philippine Republic Day is on the fourth of July.
Alexis: I’m pretty sure that they actually celebrate Independence Day on the fourth of July.
Alfonso: No. Americans celebrate their Independence Day on the Fourth of July. The Philippines celebrates Independence Day on June 12th and Republic day on July 4th. It’s an easy mistake to make.
Alexis: Oops! I stand corrected. There are just so many holidays to keep track of!
Sometimes, the person who corrects you may be wrong. As long as they are not trying to be mean or make you look bad, then you shouldn’t be too bothered by it. Alexis acknowledged that she was wrong, so nobody lost face.
This phrase can be used in formal and informal contexts. The only time that you shouldn’t use this phrase is when somebody is being excessively rude or aggressive when they try to correct you.
Furthermore, in cultures where the concept of face is very important, it is considered rude to correct someone in front of others, so unless the accuracy of the information is extremely relevant, you may just want to let somebody say the wrong thing.
No matter who or where you are, even if somebody presents very inaccurate or ridiculous information, it is always important to treat them with respect. When in doubt, follow the Golden Rule; treat others as you would want to be treated.
Background information on the expression “I stand corrected”
This phrase was first seen in writing in the late 17th century, and people have regularly used it to acknowledge their own errors since that time.
Other than that, the meaning and background of this phrase are pretty straightforward. The phrase can be understood as “I have been corrected.”
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.