Are you correctable?

One of the main differences between a wise person and a stupid one, is the way they take correction.

Stupid people take correction poorly.

(Hey, don't get mad at me! Solomon said it first.)

I've been thinking lately though, what does it look like to take correction poorly? In other words, what are some things that people who don't take correction well, do?

Proverbs gives us a few hints:

1. They babble. (Proverbs 10:8)

When I am corrected or get the feeling that I am about to be corrected, do I try to dominate the conversation? Do I just talk and talk and talk and make it hard for people to get a word in edgewise?

2. They act like they are sure of themselves, all the time, no matter what. (Prov. 12:5)

Am I the kind of person who always knows the right answer? Am I willing to even acknowledge that I might not know the whole story? That their might be areas for improvement in my life? Do I defend myself immediately when corrected?

3. They don't listen. (Proverbs 13:1)

Am I the kind of person who wants to hear what someone else has to say, even if it is negative about me? Do I actively look for help in my life? When someone is correcting me, do I try to work at understanding what they are saying? Even if I don't defend myself, do I tune out?

4. They won't go to a person who knows more than them for instruction if they think it might mean hearing something they don't want to hear. (Proverbs 15:12)

Do all my friends always agree with me? Why is that? Do I have friends that know more than me and are willing to tell me when I'm doing wrong? Do I get upset when my friends aren't "yes" men?

5.) They hate being corrected. (Prov.12:1)

Do I avoid correction? Do I find ways to make people stop correcting me? Do I get angry and attack other people when they correct me? When someone points something out to me that I'm doing wrong, do I find ten things that they are doing wrong immediately?

6.) They don't even want to know the truth. (Prov. 15:14)

Do I just want to share my own opinion when I'm talking with someone? Am I in the conversation to grow up or just to show off?