In a hyper-polarized world, it’s important to understand how people end up with their (sometimes extreme) opinions, how people won’t unbiasedly evaluate evidence that opposes their view, and also how to recognize when you’re doing this exact thing and how to stop it. And if you are thinking, “I don’t do that” then that’s proof you actually do. We ALL do it.

This was SUCH an insightful book. It made be aware of the lens I view the world through and how I use self-justification to sustain the said lens. I was able to reflect on both my past belief and experiences with family, friends, and myself and see how I reached the conclusions I did and what I do to either sustain or break free from them. It also has since helped me evaluate my biases and instincts to see if what I think and do is ACTUALLY beneficial or if I just want it to be.

I’m also able to understand the actions of others more. It can be frustrating when someone says something that hurts you but, by understanding self-justification a bit, I have some insight on why people (including myself!) say/do hurtful things and also have difficultly accepting they’re hurtful at all.