From one know-it-all to another, let me start with this quote<p>"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do."
--- Isaac Asimov<p>1. The key is to pick your battles.<p>There is no possible way that a person can be right 100% of the time. So pick a number out of ten times that you think you could be wrong. Start with 1 out of ten if you're really convinced you're smart, you'll find that number declines over time if you're keeping score (you are keeping score, right?)<p>Now every time you encounter an issue where you have an opposing viewpoint, do the math and think "could this be the x times out of 10 that I'm wrong" ... basically you're forced to second guess yourself and listen a little closely to other points of view.<p>If its close enough that its not that big a deal if the other guy wins out, then let it go ... reserve your capital for the really really big fights, the things that will keep you up at night if you lose.<p>Keep score, and be honest with yourself. Whenever it actually turns out you were wrong or that the other viewpoint actually turned out okay, recalibrate your number.<p>You might find if you let things go from time-to-time, people will lighten up around you.<p>2. Build alliances.<p>Whenever you're making an argument, don't go it alone. Try to feel out support for your POV, ask the more quiet people what they think, you might be surprised that the actually agree with you but just don't want to weigh in because they don't really feel that strongly about the debate, don't care much for you, or they actually want to see you fail because you're always getting your way (trust me, this happens, its human nature and another reason to pick your battles). Help other people win their arguments from time to time, and they might help you win yours<p>3. "Lower your voice and strengthen your argument."
--- Lebanese proverb<p>If you find that you have to be strident to get your point across, then maybe you don't have the necessary weight to make the same point with overwhelming force of experience or logic, which means that you're probably making an argument of opinion that isn't strongly grounded in either.<p>It doesn't mean if you've been doing something forever and are the smartest in the world, that you'll be listened to (I've seen people ignored who went on to found companies that were bought out for millions of dollars while the people who ignored them were still at their old jobs), people tend to pick sides first then rationalize them later. remember that ....<p>"If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence" --Bertrand Russell<p>best of luck