I love being right. And the way I do most things is obviously the right way to do them.

Everyone should drive with mild levels of aggression and only sit in the left lane when passing or going above 80mph.

The way I fold a shirt is how a shirt is supposed to be folded.

There is only one way to scramble eggs.

Until someone challenges me to cook eggs a bit differently.

I was once away for a week in the mountains with a group of friends that knew each other quite well. I was kind of the odd one out - many of them had gone to business school together or worked together for years. I was close with the organizer and decided to tag along.

Usually, when I’m away with a group of peers, I end up being the chef. My dad was briefly a chef, and I’ve cooked big meals for people since I was in college. I love traveling, hitting local markets, buying produce and meat, and whipping up elaborate feasts. The satisfaction of a group of people exclaiming how well I can cook is always such an awesome experience.

On this particular trip, I felt like the odd one out - but I could bring my skills in the kitchen to show them I had some value to add. But anyone that cooks knows that the way you cook is the way to cook.

When cooking for 8-20 people, you need a few sets of hands, even if you’re the chef. Sometimes those hands are quite useless. Sometimes they’re sous chefs - they too can cook, but they’re happy to focus on one dish or another, while I coordinate the meal. Other times, you’re faced with a bit of competition in the kitchen. Someone else also knows how to cook, and you’re faced with seeing how someone else creates and how it’s different than the way that I cook.

While I was focused on some bacon and Okra, someone else was working on the eggs.

“Here whip up the eggs, toss in some salt, pepper, and a bit of milk, put it on medium heat, and make sure to stir consistently to keep them fluffy,” I said.

“You may want to try something different…” mentioned my friend Karen.

My authority in the kitchen being challenged?! I’ve been cooking eggs since I was 10…this is how it is done.

“Don’t put anything in the eggs to start. Whip them up well, and then cook them on as low temp as possible. Stir constantly. It will take much longer, but you’ll have the fluffiest eggs ever. Then add salt and pepper at the end.”

My ego is reeling. This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. How dare someone challenge my authority? Didn’t they compliment my meal last night!? There is only one way to cook eggs.

“No…they’ll be fluffier if you cook them my way,” I said.

“I’m telling you, just try this…” said Karen again.

And they were the best eggs I’ve ever had.

Since then, I’ve cooked eggs Karen’s way. And every time I do, I think back on Karen, kindly and patiently teaching me a better way to cook eggs. With most things in life, when I demand to be right, I shut myself off from learning. If I can bite my tongue and remain teachable, I get to eat much better eggs.