Mistakes Were Made but Not By Me Th..., Carol Tavris
Mistakes Were Made but Not By Me Th..., Carol Tavris
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

Mistakes Were Made (but Not By Me) Third Edition
Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts

Author: Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson

Narrator: Carol Tavris

Unabridged: 12 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 04/28/2020

Synopsis

Renowned social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson take a compelling look into how the brain is wired for self-justification. This updated edition concludes with an extended discussion of how we can live with dissonance, learn from it, and perhaps, eventually, forgive ourselves.

Why is it so hard to say “I made a mistake”—and really believe it?

When we make mistakes, cling to outdated attitudes, or mistreat other people, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jars our feelings of self-worth. And so, unconsciously, we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility, restoring our belief that we are smart, moral, and right—a belief that often keeps us on a course that is dumb, immoral, and wrong. Backed by years of research, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-justification—how it works, the damage it can cause, and how we can overcome it.

“Entertaining, illuminating and—when you recognize yourself in the stories it tells—mortifying.”—Wall Street Journal

“Every page sparkles with sharp insight and keen observation. Mistakes were made—but not in this book!”—Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness

About Carol Tavris

CAROL TAVRIS is a social psychologist, lecturer, and writer whose books include Anger and The Mismeasure of Woman. She has written on psychological topics for the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Scientific American, and many other publications. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, and a member of the editorial board of Psychological Science in the Public Interest. She lives in Los Angeles.

About Elliot Aronson

ELLIOT ARONSON is one of the most distinguished social psychologists in the world. His books include The Social Animal and The Jigsaw Classroom. Chosen by his peers as one of the hundred most influential psychologists of the twentieth century, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and is the only psychologist to have won all three of the American Psychological Association’s top awards—for writing, teaching, and research. He lives in Santa Cruz, California.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mara on November 17, 2020

"People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls." -C.G. Jung "Memory is a complicated thing, a relative to truth, but not its twin." -Barbara Kingsolver Neither of the quotes above were included in this book, but they speak to some of the ideas at its co......more

Goodreads review by Morgan on December 11, 2018

OMFG. This book is relentless. Reading it is an ordeal. A wonderful, fruitful ordeal. But an ordeal none the less. Every page and chapter has been an opportunity for self examination and (I hope) enhanced self honesty, insight and personal growth. And just in case that sounds to woo woo for you. It s......more

Goodreads review by Alyssa on March 05, 2012

Ultimately, I think that Tavris's conclusions about self-justification are probably correct, but her argument was flawed. There were a number of things that put me off from this book. Here's my list of gripes: 1) The book relied much too heavily on anecdotal evidence to prove its points. Tavris did b......more

Goodreads review by Tami on April 15, 2008

Sometimes, I think that the world is full of hypocrites. The news is full of politicians who preach family values and then are caught in an affair. Everyday we see religious advocates who call for peace and in the same breath state that their God is the only true God. Then, there's the business worl......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List