A behavior, a response and a mathematical formulation have something in common: they can be correct or incorrect. For something to be valued as correct, it is necessary that some reason has been previously established to consider it as such. The correct thing must be understood as something equivalent to adequate, exact, correct or just and, on the contrary, the incorrect thing is everything that is described as imperfect, inadequate or inappropriate.
In any case, the idea of correction is subject to different situations and it is worth taking a brief tour of each context.
The right thing as an objective matter
If we talk about mathematics, science or any objective dimension of reality, it is possible to define what is correct or not. Rigorous knowledge generally presents a criterion of truth and, consequently, it makes sense to establish the veracity of a claim or the opposite.
The right thing to do as a moot matter
There is not always a clear boundary between right and wrong, and it is quite often an interpretable question. Let's think of a soccer match in which the referee makes a debatable decision or a personal dilemma that forces us to decide one way or another. In both cases, the correctness of the decision is a debatable matter.
Evolution of the idea of correction
Social habits have been changing over time. 100 years ago, if a woman walked down the street in pants, drove a vehicle or practiced a sport, said behaviors were considered irregular and inappropriate for the female sex and, consequently, they were branded as incorrect. The curious thing about the evolution of the correct-incorrect binomial is that it also affects objective and scientific questions (a new law assumes that the previous one is incorrect and the same happens with new scientific theories or paradigms).
The right thing and social behavior
If an individual is in the habit of respecting the social norms of education and at the same time being kind, courteous and discreet, it is very likely that he is said to be a correct person. In this case, an assessment of some external formal aspects is made, since we live in society and it is logical that we judge others based on a series of obvious guidelines. Thus, not greeting the neighbor at the elevator door or not thanking when they have attended to us, are incorrect social behaviors.
Photos: iStock - Mikolette / Pamela Moore
