Martini Shot It Didn't Matter That I Was Right
Jan 29, 2026
A writer recalls a writers' room blunder about legal jargon and how being right can still make you the annoying person. He shares social media backlash over a car memory and a quiet choice not to correct a restaurant host. The thread ties into why people love to correct others and when silence preserves relationships.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Wrong Time To Be Correct
- Rob Long told a writer's-room story where he corrected a line about hostile takeovers and got glares from colleagues.
- He backtracked by inventing insider trading as the crime to avoid getting fired and learned to keep quiet.
The Subaru Slip
- Rob Long recounted being called out on TV for saying he bought a Subaru Outback in 1988 when the model didn't exist then.
- He explained it as a slip of the tongue but found many people insisted on publicly correcting him.
The Social Cost Of Correcting
- Correcting others in public is an irresistible temptation but often backfires socially.
- The social cost of being right can outweigh the personal satisfaction of correction.