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

Why do people dodgeesponsiility when things fall apat? Why the paade of pulic figues unale to own up when they scew up? Why the endless maital quaels ove who isight? Why can we see hypocisy in othesut not in ouselves? Ae we all lias? O do weeallyelieve the stoies we tell?

Renowned social psychologists Caol Tavis and Elliot Aonson take a compelling look into how theain is wied fo self-justification. When we make mistakes, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jas ou feelings of self-woth. And so we ceate fictions that asolve us ofesponsiility,

estoing ouelief that we ae smat, moal, andight—aelief that often keeps us on a couse that is dum, immoal, and wong.

Backedy yeas ofeseach and deliveed in lively, enegetic pose, Mistakes Wee Made (But Noty Me) offes a fascinating explanation of self-deception—how it woks, the ham it can cause, and how we can ovecome it.