Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, And Hurtful Acts (2007) - Plot & Excerpts
My entire life I have struggled with understanding why people say one thing then do the opposite. I couldn't understand why they believed contradictory things. I couldn't understand why people would insist they were good people yet the did such stupid, hurtful, or evil things. After reading this book I not only understand them, but myself as well. This isn't a self help book, but it helps. I wish this book was a mandatory read for all people. I highly recommend it! Finally finished reading "Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)" (2007) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. This is perhaps the best book I've read on cognitive dissonance and self-justification, about humans' instinctive reaction to deny mistakes.The book exhaustively covers a whole range of fields where examples of cognitive dissonance are amplified, such as criminal prosecution, false memory cases, marital relationships, and cases of war crimes. It criticizes how prominent people deftly deny responsibilities and claim no ownership for the mistakes that they make, and explore the reasons for their actions.Tavris and Aronson has massively researched the fields of cognitive dissonance, and even extends them to other fields such as learning in children, as well as forgiveness. As a sociological/psychological book, it is one of the most comprehensive and detailed I've ever read.NEXT BOOK: "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer" (2010) by Siddhartha Mukherjee.
What do You think about Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, And Hurtful Acts (2007)?
One of the most enlightening books I have ever read. A must for any psychology buff.
—hazelma1
Great book, forces you to look inward and realize your own biases and shortcomings.
—guddu
