s/o correcting people

[Trilliums]

Do you correct people around you who are giving misinformation and you are 100% sure of the correct info? Some examples: neighbors discussing plants (you are only a few feet away and have already chatted with them), a friend who sends a photo of a plant and misnames it, a person at a store asking how to turn a white hydrangea blue and pink and the clerks are clueless. Would you chime in with the correct info or would you stay quiet? For me it happens to involve horticulture, an area I know a lot about and am generally pretty sure of my info. Doesn't have to be about plants for you though. :)

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Totally depends on the situation. I think often times people who do this come across as know-it-alls. If it's someone I know well, I may say something, but if not, I keep my trap shut.

[Mergath]

If the person in question having incorrect information would harm them in some way, I'd speak up. Otherwise, smile and nod.

[LillyMama]

Not usually. If it's important, I might ask questions for clarification and then say something like, "Hmph, that's funny, I thought _____." This stems from too many know-it-alls in my life, though, that I'm super sensitive to it.

[Farrar]

If it is dangerous misinformation, then always.

 

Otherwise...

 

For good friends, usually.

For close family, usually.

For my mother, always.

For the rest of my family, depends on how I'm feeling.

For people I dislike, usually.

For random strangers, no.

For acquaintances, rarely.

 

Um... I guess it really depends.

[Mélie]

If the person in question having incorrect information would harm them in some way, I'd speak up. Otherwise, smile and nod.

This.

[creekland]

If it appears that someone is looking for information, I usually will say what I know in a nice way (and I'm usually thanked for sharing). If it is just two people talking, it depends on the situation. If it involves students at school, yes, I'll step in. If adults... maybe. If it's just an opinion, I don't step in.

[Trilliums]

If it is dangerous misinformation, then always.

 

Otherwise...

 

For good friends, usually.

For close family, usually.

For my mother, always.

For the rest of my family, depends on how I'm feeling.

For people I dislike, usually.

For random strangers, no.

For acquaintances, rarely.

 

Um... I guess it really depends.

 

 

:lol:

 

For the first two, I didn't say anything. I also thought, no big deal if they have those misconceptioins. It was though, a bit iffy for neighbor who was misinformed about an ornamental being a native wild flower. That particular ornamental is listed as invasive in many states, but not our state. I had already decided to eradicate it all from my yard. Still, the was out there with his SonIL and I figured he wouldn't want me correcting him in that way.

The hydrangea lady was clearly seeking info, but she wasn't too happy to hear what I had to say (white hydrangeas stay white regardless of soil pH).

[creekland]

Just a thought, when I offer advice I always start it with a question...

 

"Are you trying to find out what this plant is?"

 

Then they have the option to accept verbal assistance or not. It seems to be a good intro (or at least it works for me).

[happymomofboys]

Most of the time, yes, but I try to be helpful and courteous about it.

 

"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. I grow [insert plant name here], myself. May I share my experience? . . ."

 

Or if someone posts misinformation on FB, I might say, "Wow! That's a lovely plant! But if I'm not mistaken, isn't that a [insert correct name here]?"

 

If I don't think that my comment will be well-received by the parties involved, I just stay out of it. I have a few cousins that are all the time posting incorrect political things on their FB pages (we're of the same "brand" politically, so it's not a matter of difference of opinion, but of fact), yet no amount of discussion of facts will convince them not to spread such things. I just leave them to their bliss. :rolleyes:

[indigomama]

I would say it depends, but I did correct a woman at the zoo once who was telling her grandson to look "at the pretty monkey", and it was very clearly a male Orangutan. I just couldn't let that go:tongue_smilie:

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Rarely.

 

With a lot of (local) people, i just smile and nod. I had to literally bite my tongue when someone was talking about a niece getting down syndrome at 8 years old.

[LaxMom]

Rarely.

 

With a lot of (local) people, i just smile and nod. I had to literally bite my tongue when someone was talking about a niece getting down syndrome at 8 years old.

 

:svengo: :blink:

 

I'll try to gently "help" correct misinformation in some instances. Sometimes, I just flat out say "no, I'm sorry, that's not correct," but that's rare and usually reserved for someone being obnoxious touting their misinformation.

[QuirkyKapers]

Generally not. Unless it is my dh. ;)

[Pamela H in Texas]

Depends.

 

If I'm not in the discussion with the neighbors, I probably wouldn't correct. It is possible that if we were close friends I may very carefully do so; but not with my neighbors as I just don't feel like I would with my relationships with them.

 

In the store? Absolutely. "Hi! I overheard what you were asking and I just happen to know to XYZ. My mother loved when I did that for her (or whatever)."

 

I guess the main difference is giving someone information versus correcting someone.

[Farrar]

Oh, for Facebook? Good grief, never. Not even if someone posts a status update that said, "I recently started watering my plants with bleach" or "I recently found out the earth is flat! Who knew!"

[SKL]

Usually, no, but if I really can't resist, I might phrase it as "do you mean ___?"

 

But normally I would only do this if their misinformation affected me (or my kids) in some way.

[GoVanGogh]

For me it happens to involve horticulture, an area I know a lot about and am generally pretty sure of my info.

I'm somewhat the local garden person around here. :tongue_smilie:

My pet peeve is that people are always calling me to ask my advice/opinion (free of charge, of course) then telling me that isn't what their lawn guy (or the guy at the home improvement store) told them. :glare: If you want my opinion, take it. But don't argue if you don't like what I say!

That happened four times last month with three different neighbors.

I hate to gloat - but, yeah, those azaleas planted in full sun in zone 8? Fried the first time it hit 95 degrees. Told ya so.

[angela in ohio]

Not usually. If it's important, I might ask questions for clarification and then say something like, "Hmph, that's funny, I thought _____." This stems from too many know-it-alls in my life, though, that I'm super sensitive to it.

 

This. I have known women who would interrupt any conversation around them to argue about the most trivial things. Ugh. It's so ugly that it makes me very, very cautious.

 

And.... maybe I'm the one who is wrong. ;)

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

SIL insisted during a party game that bees and butterflies were not animals. :001_huh:

 

In collage I was taking an early American history class (including the Revolutionary War period,) being taught by an English professor, who couldn't answer a question about when Americans started spelling like Americans instead of English people. :blink: So I raised my hand and told the student what I remembered of a biography about Noah Webster I had read in 8th grade. :glare:

 

Short answer: yes. :lol:

[Rosie_0801]

Random people in random places, yeah, sometimes. The worst that can happen is they look at me as if I am a rude git (which I have just been) and ignore me.

 

My brother, grandmother or dh? Sure. They tell me when they think I'm wrong.

 

If it is my relatives? Well, there are things vastly more important than being correctly informed, according to some. It is better if I pretend I am a statue modelled out of bean dip, if I can't avoid them.

 

Rosie

[Joanne]

Stuff like that? No.

 

Misinformation about homeschooling laws? Breastfeeding? Divorce laws/family law? Food allergies/Crohns? Medical issues? Access to medical services vs. the myths that float around and people believe? Yes.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Completely situational. I often help if I am able in that sort of situation.

[stripe]

If people are sharing advice, I chime in if I've got something to say. If someone repeatedly and forcefully is lecturing people, I sometimes get tired of their aggression and correct them. (I remember doing this when someone kept ranting about sugar in toothpaste. After five minutes, I informed them that ADA approved toothpaste doesn't have sugar, because that would cause tooth decay.) Otherwise, I don't really bother. If someone knows a lot, I think she SHOULD chime in with plant tips. Give me some, while you're at it!

[Hwin]

If at all possible, I answer the original person's question rather than pointing out that a response is wrong (this is pretty easy in an email or facebook scenario, not so much when you are just eavesdropping.)

[lllll]

...

[swellmomma]

I try not to be a know it all, but I have chimed in a few times at places like stores, when someone is asking a question and a clerk etc can't answer it. The funniest was when a customer was asking a new employee where a certain item was kept in the store, and the new employee didn't know exactly, but having been a long time customer I did, so I directed the customer to which aisle and shelf they wanted. Clerk asked if I used to work there.

 

The plant picture wrongly named I would send back a message of that is a great picture of a "correct name" . If already in conversation with someone no problem adding 2 cents in.

 

If it comes to people gossiping even if I know the truth unless what they are saying is down right malicious, or could damage a person's reputation I don't correct them to the truth. I would not want to be seen as a gossiper, but if what they were saying was so far from the truth (saying so and so is a pill popper, hypocondriac but I know so and so was actually recently Dx with cancer and is working through the treatment) I would likely interject with the truth.

 

If someone is being a snooty know it all, AND managing to get their info wrong, I gladly interject with an "actually..." and knock them of their pedestal a little.

 

basically I respond to it differently with each one but try my best not to make it obvious that I am correcting them and not drawing attention to their error (unless they deserve to have it made very apparent)