A behaviour, 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. What is correct must be understood as something equivalent to adequate, exact, right or fair and, conversely, what is incorrect is everything that is described as imperfect, inadequate or inappropriate.
In any case, the idea of correctness is subject to different situations and it is worth taking a brief tour of each context.
What is right 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 truth criterion and, consequently, it makes sense to establish the truth of a statement or the opposite.
The right thing to do as a moot point
There is not always a clear border between what is right and what is wrong and it is quite often an interpretable matter. Let’s think of a football match in which the referee makes a debatable decision or a personal dilemma that forces us to decide one way or the other. 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 wearing pants, drove a vehicle or played a sport, these 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 pairing is that it also affects objective and scientific issues (a new law assumes that the previous one is incorrect and the same happens with new theories or scientific paradigms).
Correctness and social behavior
If an individual is in the habit of respecting the social norms of education and at the same time is kind, courteous and discreet, it is very likely that he will be said to be a correct person. In this case, an assessment is made of some external formal aspects, since we live in a 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 saying thank you when they have served us, are incorrect social behaviors.
Photos: iStock – Mikolette / Pamela Moore
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