Quote:
So what you're saying is, if I wired it backwards, I'd be shorting the wrong end of things and could damage something?

Well, yes. Shorting the next device's input (the output of your circuit) to ground is obviously OK, as that's the same as there being silence (0V) on the signal. Shorting the previous device's output (the input of your circuit) to ground is typically very bad, as the other device will be continually dumping current into that output trying to drive it high, but never managing.

Peter