{"id":91131,"date":"2023-02-07T10:34:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T14:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=91131"},"modified":"2023-02-08T12:30:16","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T16:30:16","slug":"mistakes-were-made-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/mistakes-were-made-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Mistakes Were Made: Book Overview & Takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the book Mistakes Were Made<\/em> about? What are the main takeaways of the book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)<\/em>, Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson argue that we self-justify<\/a> to relieve cognitive dissonance. This is the discomfort triggered when we do things that don’t align with other beliefs, actions, and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read below for a brief overview of the Mistakes Were Made<\/em> book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)<\/em> by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why do people justify their questionable actions and big mistakes? In their book Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)<\/em>, social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson argue that we do so to relieve cognitive dissonance.<\/strong> We experience cognitive dissonance when two of our thoughts, values, or behaviors contradict each other: for instance, when we think we\u2019re good at something but make a huge mistake when actually doing it. This state threatens the consistency of our worldview and sense of self, creating mild to intense psychological discomfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Tavris and Aronson discuss cognitive dissonance as a negative experience we should try to avoid, but dissonance can be applied therapeutically to help people create healthier behavioral patterns.<\/a> For example, a person with a strong phobia usually knows their level of fear is irrational, which inspires cognitive dissonance. To reduce mental discomfort, they might avoid the thing they\u2019re afraid of. However, the dissonance from the conflict between their rational beliefs and irrational phobia can also show them that their fear is unfounded, motivating them to overcome it. When someone confronts their fear instead of avoiding it and nothing bad happens, they\u2019re often able to let go of their irrational fears in favor of their new, healthier behavior.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors examine several unconscious processes we use to reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance, including self-justification<\/a>, confirmation bias<\/a>, and memory distortion<\/a>. These biases help us to justify poor decisions that create dissonance, and by learning about them, you can begin to recognize your own biases, challenge them, and take accountability for your actions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: The authors explore several cognitive biases<\/a> in this book. However, they don\u2019t clearly define what a cognitive bias<\/a> is<\/em> on its most basic level. Cognitive biases are automatic assumptions we make about situations, ourselves, and other people.<\/a> Often, they\u2019re wrong, leading to unfounded conclusions and poorly informed actions. Though they often get us into trouble, they\u2019re likely so prevalent because they conserve energy. Our brains are confronted with a constant flow of information and choices, leading to overwhelm and fatigue. Biases can help us save energy otherwise spent processing this information by prompting snap judgments about people, places, and things\u2014even if they\u2019re often inaccurate.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tavris and Aronson are both seasoned psychologists, writers, and educators. Tavris has also written Anger<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>which deconstructs misconceptions about this common emotion, <\/em>and The Mismeasure of Woman<\/em><\/a>, which challenges the problematic practice of treating men as the \u201cnormal\u201d standard in everything from history to medicine. Aronson has written several other books, including The Social Animal<\/em><\/a>, his introduction to social psychology, and Nobody Left to Hate<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>an exploration of the damaging social culture in American schools in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. He\u2019s won several awards for his scientific research, writing, and teaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this book, the authors define cognitive dissonance, self-justification, confirmation bias, and memory distortion and discuss how they work in tandem to help us rationalize our choices. In addition, they explore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n