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Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts

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198 Reviews
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 5, 2008 - Psychology - 292 pages
Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell?

Backed by years of research and delivered in lively, energetic prose, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-deception—how it works, the harm it can cause, and how we can overcome it.

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The writing is clear and the insights are invaluable. - Goodreads
Well researched and informative. - Goodreads
Excellent, accessible and conversational prose. - Goodreads
The premise is simple. - Goodreads
While I would never call this book a "page turner." - Goodreads
Their explanations are arguably a little facile. - Goodreads

Review: Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts

User Review  - Margot - Goodreads

Fairly entertaining and very accessible exploration of cognitive dissonance. The authors have a particular knack for selecting examples and distilling them into quick catch phrases that stand for a ... Read full review

Review: Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts

User Review  - Steven Beales - Goodreads

Excellent overview of why normal human beings end up justifying extreme and irrational positions one gradual step at a time and then feel bound by self-justification to continue onto actions that seem impossible to understand if we have not begun to slide down the same slippery slope. Read full review

All 198 reviews »

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About the author (2008)

CAROL TAVRIS is a social psychologist and author of Anger and The Mismeasure of Woman. She has written for the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Scientific American, and many other publications. She lives in Los Angeles.

ELLIOT ARONSON is a social psychologist and author of The Social Animal. The recipient of many awards for teaching, scientific research, writing, and contributions to society, he is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

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