Well, said, Ed. It is the obsession people have with being "right" that wrecks at least half the threads on Mudcat, and it's a disease that's almost universal among humans (to one extent or another, depending on how strong (and insecure) the person's ego is). It's more noticeable in the people who have a worse case of it, and they are the ones that others eventually learn to back off from, avoid talking to...or humour, just so they'll stop fighting with you about whatever it is that they are temporarily focusing on in order to be....."right".

I read a psychology book about this problem back in the 60's, I believe it was called "The Right Man". My father and his brother were extreme examples of the type, and they made life hell for me and my cousins. With a father like that, you can't ever be "right" about anything yourself...unless you become a little yes-man and just follow instructions and obey orders....so you learn to not talk about anything, avoid notice if at all possible, and hopefully escape the familial home as soon as possible.

The obession with being right has something to do with a person's insecurity about how they are seen by others. They have to be "right", because to be "wrong" about anything would supposedly reduce their personal power and their prestige. That's how the ego thinks...in terms of threats to its security, and opportunities to strengthen its position vis-a-vis all other egos.

It's a hellish attitude to have, and it produces most of the trouble in the world...whether it is applied through politics, business, religion, or in personal relationships.

The Right Man or Right Woman is a person you can only come to terms with by domination (showing superior power to them)...or surrender. Not wishing to either dominate or surrender to anyone, I opt to just avoid such people if I can manage it. Unfortunately, one can't really avoid them online. They react to something, and they launch an attack. One can only refuse to oblige their desire to have a fight about something by not reacting in kind.

2 Right men (or Right women) will, of course, go on fighting online with each other indefinitely. Neither one will ever back down. They HAVE to be right, so they'll fight about "it" (whatever the subject is) forever, and neither one will give an inch. You see a lot of that going on around here. It's pointless. Silly. And sad.