How often do you feel like this?

I’ve had a habit of always covering the downside when giving answers that I may be wrong on. Usually, I try not to convince myself I really know the answer to something, or the story of an event, unless I’ve done quite a bit of studying or have at least a handful of facts that are strong from multiple aspects. When an outcome starts to reveal itself that goes against what I believe and I’ve told others, well it doesn’t feel good, but I do come around.

Lately, in conversations with others as I’m being forced to take some positions despite knowing I’m ignorant about a few items, I’ve been feeling this way more often. It’s leading me to wonder, “How often do other people feel this way?”

How often are people attached to something they believe to be true and defend and tie their ego up in? In my life up until now, I would say it was rare for me to take a “belief” without high confidence and so my ego wasn’t tied up because it was riding on known work. Now, I’m giving answers that are more belief-based more often out of a certain situational necessity. I’m starting to wonder what the full spectrum is. Do people feel like this 100% of the time, where I was close to 0% before?

I’m not sure there is a great system that could be devised for ascertaining this, but it’s worth each person asking to themselves nonetheless.