Mistakes were made (but not by me): why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions, and hurtful acts

301 Pages·2007·8.3 MB·English

by  Carol Tavris

Mistakes
Were
Made
(bnuotbt ym e)
WhyW ej ustFiofoylB ieslhi efs,
BadD ecisainodHn usr,t Afcutls
CAROL TAVRIS and ELLIOT ARONSON
­
-
IT
I
!
I
MistaWkeerseM ade
(bunto bty m e)
WhyW e Jusfyt i
FoolBieslhfis Be,a dD ecisions,
andH urftulA cts
I
o o o
I
I
II
I
CAROLT AVRISa lldE LLIOTA RONSON
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CopyriQg h2t0 0b7y C aroTla vrain$dE 1liA(rKo nson
All riI'C5Cgrh�t.S N o pano fthis publicuimoanyb er eproduo:zd.o rt ransmiitnt ed
anyf oromr b ya nym eanesl.e ctroormn eicch anical, ipnhcoltuodcim:onopgry d,i ng, or;my
informasttioornana dg ere trievals ystweimt,h opeurtm issiionnw ritifrnogmt hpeu blisher.
Requestsfo rp ermis1s0im oank ec opioesf;m y pan oft hweo rskh oubleds ubmitted
onliantwwe w .harcourt.comOf/ mcaoinltteaodtc htefo llowiandgd ress:
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Diffirmrn is" 200G0u ilfoPrrdes asn di sr eprinwtietpdhe rmissoifoG nu ilfPoteS$r.d
LibraorfCy o ngesrsC ataloging.in.DPaurbal iation
TavrCiasr,o l.
Mistawerek esm ad(eb UnlO Ib ym e)w;h yw ej ustfoioflyi bsehl iefs,
bad decisiaonndhs u,r tfauclu /CaTraovlr& i E5l lAirootn son5.t-e ld .
p. cm.
Includbeisb liogtraepfheiraelan ncdie nsd ex.
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ISBN9 78-..{}15-101098-1
Texsett i nA dobe Gararnond
Printientd h e UnSittaetdol' fAS m l'ria
Firrsoti tion
ACE GIKJHFD B
ToR onamnyW ,O l1d0e'r ful
-CaroTla vris
o o o
ToV eroafc, o urse
- ElliotA ronson
We aarlecl a pabolfbe e lietvhiinngwg hsi cwhe k nowto b eu ntrue,
andt hewnh,e nw e arfe malplryo vwerdo nigm,p udenttwliys ting
thfae ctssoa st os hotwh awtew errei gIhntt.e lleicittsp uo aslsliyb,l e
toc arornyt hipsr ocefosarsn i ndefitniimtteeh: oe n lcyh ecokni t is
thasto onoerrl ataefa rl sbee lbiuemf pusp a gaisnosltri edal i,ut syu­
allya b oant tlefield.
-GeorgOerwe ll (1946)
A grenaatt iiosln i akge r emaatn :
Whenh em akeasm istahkere e,a liitz.e s
Having rietha,ela idzmeiidtt s.
Haviandgm iuiethd,e c orreiats.
Hec onsitdheorssw heo p oionutth ifsa ulas thsi mso sbte nevolent
reachers.
-LaoT zu
CONTENTS
o o o
INTRODUCTION
KnaveFso,o /Vsi,l laainndHs y,p ocrites:
HowD o TheLyi vwei tThh emselves? 1
.......•....•..•.......
I
CHAPTER
CognitDiivses onaTnhceEe n:g ionfeS elf-jusri/icatio1n 1
......•.
CHAPTE2R
Pridaen dP rejud.i.c.ae n aO rheBrl inSdp ars 40
.....•••......
CHAPTE3R
Memory,S e[lhfe- jusHciisflyOirniga n 68
......•...•...........
CHAPTE4R
GoodI ntentBiaodnS sc,i ence:
TheC losLeodo pof C liniJcuadlg me.n.t.. .•...•...•......9. 7
CHAPTE5R
Lawa ndD isorder 127
.....•..••..••...• . . . •..••...•. . . . . .
CHAPTE6R
LoueA'sss assSienl:f -justiitfM!ia crartii,ao gne 158
....... • . . . . .
x CONTENTS
CHAPTE7R
WounRdifst,as n,Wd a rs 185
......................... . .....
CHAPTE8R
LelfGioan ngOa' w niUnpg 213
..............•...•...•......
AFTERWORD 237
. . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . .. . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . .
ENDNOTES 239
. . • • • . . . . . . . . . .
INDEX 277
. . . . . . • . . . . . • • • . . • • . . . . . . . • • • . • . • . . • . . . . . .
MistakWeesr eM ade
(bunrot b y me)
INTRODUCTION
o o o
KnaveFso,o lVsi,l laainndHs y,po crites:
HowD oT heLy ivwei tThh emselves?
Mistakweesr qeu iptoes simbaldyeb yt haed ministirnaw thiiocInh s
served.
-HenryK issinrgeesrp,o ntod icnhga rg[ehats h ec ommitted
war crimienhs i s irnot lheUe niteSdt araecst'i ionn s
1970$
VietnCaamm,b odainad,S ourAhm eriicnta h e
If,i nh indsighatl,s doiw sec otvhearmt i stamkaeysh avbee en
mad.e. .I a md eepsloyr ry.
-CardinEadlw arEdg aonf N ewY orrke,f ertroti hnbegi shops
who fatiold eedawl i tchh imlodl esrearmso ntgh Cea thoclliecr gy
Mistawkeersme a dei nc ommunictaott ihnpegu blaincdCUS [Qrners
aboutth ien grediinoe unFrtr se nch afnrdhi aesbshr owns.
-McDonalda'pso,l ogitzoHi inngd uasn do thevre getarians
fofra iltioin ngf otrhme tmh atth �en atufrlaalv oring�
int hepiort atcooenst aibneeedf byproducrs
2 CAROLT AVRIliSn dE lLIOTA RONSON
Thiwse ekq'use stHioowncan : YOLIre wlhle np.ar esidsceanntdiisaa ll
serious?
A.T hep residpoelnlnt u'msb edrrso p.
B.T hep regsoess aftheirm .
C.T heo pposictailfolonsh ri ism peachmem.
D.H iso wnp arrym embeturnr so nh im.
E.O rt he WhHiotuess ea y"sm,i stakewse rmea de."
-BilSlc hneoinCd NerN 'Isn sPoildei tics
AS FALLWLHEU MAN BEINGSa.l olf u ss harteh ei mpultsoe
justoiufyr selavnedas v oitda kirnegs ponsifboiarln iyat cyt itohnast
turonu rt obe harmfiumlm.o raorls ,t upMiods.t uoswf i lnle vebre
ina p osit(i0m oank ed ecisafifeocntsi tnhgel ivesd eaantdoh fms il�
lioonfsp eoplbeu,tw hethtehrec onsequeonfc eosu r miasrtea kes
trivoirta rla goinca ,s maslcla oJrea n atiocnaanlv maoss,t uosfif n d
itd ifficuilfnt o,t i mpossito bslaey",,I w asw ronIgm ;a dea t errible
mistakTeh.eh "i ghtehrse t akes-emotfiinoannaclim.ao lr,a l-the
greattheedr i fficulty.
Itg oefsu rtmhaernt haMto:s tp eoplweh.e nd ireCctolnyf ronted.
bye videtnhcaett h eayr wer ondgo.n otc hantghee piori notfv iew
orc oursea cotfib ountj ustiitefy v emno ret enacioEwvleyni. r re­
futaebvlied einsrc aer eelnyo ugthop iertcheem entaarlm oorfs elf­
justificWahteinow ne.b egawno rkionngt hibso okt.h ep ostbeory
fo"rt enacdiionugsi tnoag d iscrebdeiltiewedaf sG" e orgWe B ush.
Bushw asw ronign h icsl aimma tS addaHmu ssehiandw eapoonfs
masdse struchteiw oansw, r onignd aimimnagt S addawasm linked
wimAJ Qaedah.e w asw ronign p redictthianItgr aqwiosu lbde
dancijnogy fuilntl hye s treteotr se cetihvAeem ericsaonl diheer s,
was wrong priend ictthianttgh ceo nfliwcotu lbde o ver quickly. he
was wrionhn iggs r ousnsd erestoiftm hafietn ea ncCiOaSlot ft hwea r,
andh ew asm osfta mouswlryo nign h ipsh oto-soppe escihwx e eks
afttehrie n vasbieogna wnh.e nh ea nnounc{eudn daeb ra nner read-