This is one of those books that's not only fascinating, it's extremely helpful. By delving into what goes on in the brain when we experience information that's contrary to our deeply held and cherished beliefs, or when faced with evidence of our own failures and mistakes,--dissonance--this book offers valuable ways we can all become more self-aware and avoid falling into the trap of self-justification.

Written in layman's terms, by highlighting this one simple concept, the authors show how our need to correct dissonance leads to prejudice, revisionist histories, bad science, serious problems within the legal system, and disharmony in marriages and other relationships. Taken on their own, each of these problems seem enormous--and they are. However, the first step to finding solutions for all of them is for people to learn to take a step back, suppress their defensive urges, analyze the situation, and question whether they might have done something wrong, or whether they might nurse mistaken beliefs. It's simple to become blinded by our confirmation bias (i.e. only accepting as evidence information that proves our own viewpoint while dismissing evidence that challenges that viewpoint), but by avoiding that trap, it's possible to come to a better understanding of ourselves and the world we live in, as well as devise ways of righting wrongs. We've all come up against that stubborn person who just won't listen, who clings to their beliefs against all contrary evidence, and who refuses to believe they could possibly be wrong. Guess what? We're ALL that person at some point or another. Self-awareness comes more easily to some people than others, but we can all train ourselves to be better at it, and if we did, we'd alleviate many of our own problems. Admitting that we've made mistakes or done something wrong is tough because of our need to insulate ourselves from humiliation and to maintain our self-image, but this book shows how dangerous that impulse is.

The book isn't all doom and gloom, though. The authors offer suggestions for how we can each tackle our own biases, and they provide evidence that shows how learning to overcome them can lead to better outcomes. To offer just one example, they explore how the increased focus on standardized testing has further institutionalized students' fear of failure, creating a serious impediment to students' ability to learn. No one likes to feel stupid, so rather than risk trying something and failing to succeed at it, we tend to adopt the attitude that certain things, like math skills, are innate. But the authors cite research showing that when students learn to put their mistakes in perspective by reminding themselves that mistakes are learning opportunities, and that making a mistake does not make them less of a person, they're likely to be more willing to tackle tasks they'd otherwise shy away from.

Accepting and learning from our mistakes also forges closer bonds with others. The authors cite evidence that shows that people want their pain to be validated, so when a doctor or lover admits they've made a mistake, we tend to have warmer feelings than if they deny or assign the blame to someone else. At heart, what most of us want is not so much to rage against the person who screwed up, but to hear that person admit it and promise to remedy it.

Reading this book is an enriching experience because it helps the reader to learn to analyze the behavior of others rather than washing our hands of them and saying, "S/He is so irrational." When we understand that the other person is likely engaging in a fair bit of self-justification, we can arrive at better methods to reach that person. We can also learn to put ourselves under the same microscope, so that we can overcome our own tendencies to self-justify.

Definitely a must read!

The author's research and analysis of mistakes through historical events and relationships really support his dissonance theory. Current leaders really need to read this book & apply it to how they perceive themselves & their actions.

Well done overview of our propensity to take no notice of own mistakes. Good balance between academic essence and popular storytelling.

Very good. Accessible and comprehensible with a nice narrative connecting a number of observations under a single banner of self-justification.

One to read periodically, just to make sure I rememember to keep myself in check.