On being wrong*

This article examines the concept of 'wrong' in the context of technology and professional experience. It argues that being wrong is not binary but exists on a spectrum, with false negatives (termed 'wrong*') arising from graded or reversible judgments. The author critiques the tendency to split everything into right and wrong, using examples like Brooks's Law and database technologies (e.g., Hekaton). Drawing on Daniel Kahneman's 'Thinking, Fast and Slow,' the author reflects on fast, careless decisions leading to wrong predictions and emphasizes the difficulty of measuring soft skills. The piece encourages questioning inherited definitions of wrong and considering context, timing, and expertise before dismissing opinions. It is a reflective, non-tutorial article relevant to tech professionals about cognitive biases and decision-making.