Sometimes we become so comfortable with things in life that we do not notice mistakes until they are pointed out to us. For instance, what word in the English language is always spelled incorrectly? Even when people check the dictionary, they still spell it incorrectly! That should set your brain to spinning. But believe it or not, there is one.

When things like this are revealed, most people respond by saying, “I didn’t realize that!” or “Why didn’t I see that before.” And sometimes you’ll hear them say: “How could I be so dumb not to see that?” It might all lead back to a factor of looking but not seeing. How many people have been ticketed because they misread the No Parking sign? Or what about buying an item online for only $19.99 without realizing that it says in small print, “Per month for 18 months.” Or using the wrong ingredient because we misread the recipe since the one used is spelled similar to the one we should have used, or not realizing that the person we look at in the mirror every morning is exactly what people often call us when they get upset or angry for some of the foolish thing we did or said.

The phrase, “Know yourself” is an ancient Greek saying that calls attention to the fact that sometimes others know us better than we know ourselves. That’s why when they point things out to us, we should not be so quick to turn them away and discard what they say. I read this once, and it has a lot to say about how we approach information that seems foreign to us: “To know yourself, look at your fears. Fear in itself is not important, but fear stands there and points you in the direction of things that are important. Don’t be afraid of your fears, they’re not there to scare you; they’re there to let you know that something is worth it.” by C. JoyBell C.

So, do you know what word in English is always spelled incorrectly? Go ahead, give it a try! Don’t be afraid of being wrong, it may be the only way of finding out.