# One side is right but not correct

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-master-ran-right-but-not-correct
- Themes: argument, humility, wisdom, marriage
- Life situations: marital argument, needing to be right

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Ajahn Brahm quotes 'Great Master Ran': in an argument one side is right but not correct, the other correct but not right — so both are learning rather than winning.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

Great Master ran sometimes would I take an hour to say he would just sum up in just know one second with these p statements he said when there is an argument he said one side is right but not correct the other side is correct but not right that's a beautiful saying isn't it so you have an argument with your wife with your husband who's right and who's wrong

## Teaching point

Arguments are work in progress; neither side owns the whole truth.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A great master summed up arguments this way: one side is right but not correct, the other correct but not right. Ajahn Brahm loves it, especially for marriages. Nobody holds the whole truth. Argue to go deeper, not to win, and both of you come out wiser and still friends.

## Source

- [Understanding Arguments | Ajahn Brahm | 15-04-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDgBfvFv-54) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 40:20 to 40:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDgBfvFv-54&t=2420s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Ending Conflict | Ajahn Brahm | 22-10-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ6R-MeXNuo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 44:39 to 45:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ6R-MeXNuo&t=2679s
- [Arguing | by Ajahn Brahm | 17 April 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bSZL8edEiQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:51 to 18:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bSZL8edEiQ&t=1071s
- [5 Types Of Religion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0O456LK2c) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:29 to 15:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0O456LK2c&t=929s