Table Of ContentMistakes
Were
Made
(bnuotbt ym e)
WhyW ej ustFiofoylB ieslhi efs,
BadD ecisainodHn usr,t Afcutls
CAROL TAVRIS and ELLIOT ARONSON
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MistaWkeerseM ade
(bunto bty m e)
WhyW e Jusfyt i
FoolBieslhfis Be,a dD ecisions,
andH urftulA cts
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CAROLT AVRISa lldE LLIOTA RONSON
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LibraorfCy o ngesrsC ataloging.in.DPaurbal iation
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Mistawerek esm ad(eb UnlO Ib ym e)w;h yw ej ustfoioflyi bsehl iefs,
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Firrsoti tion
ACE GIKJHFD B
ToR onamnyW ,O l1d0e'r ful
-CaroTla vris
o o o
ToV eroafc, o urse
- ElliotA ronson
We aarlecl a pabolfbe e lietvhiinngwg hsi cwhe k nowto b eu ntrue,
andt hewnh,e nw e arfe malplryo vwerdo nigm,p udenttwliys ting
thfae ctssoa st os hotwh awtew errei gIhntt.e lleicittsp uo aslsliyb,l e
toc arornyt hipsr ocefosarsn i ndefitniimtteeh: oe n lcyh ecokni t is
thasto onoerrl ataefa rl sbee lbiuemf pusp a gaisnosltri edal i,ut syu
allya b oant tlefield.
-GeorgOerwe ll (1946)
A grenaatt iiosln i akge r emaatn :
Whenh em akeasm istahkere e,a liitz.e s
Having rietha,ela idzmeiidtt s.
Haviandgm iuiethd,e c orreiats.
Hec onsitdheorssw heo p oionutth ifsa ulas thsi mso sbte nevolent
reachers.
-LaoT zu
CONTENTS
o o o
INTRODUCTION
KnaveFso,o /Vsi,l laainndHs y,p ocrites:
HowD o TheLyi vwei tThh emselves? 1
.......•....•..•.......
I
CHAPTER
CognitDiivses onaTnhceEe n:g ionfeS elf-jusri/icatio1n 1
......•.
CHAPTE2R
Pridaen dP rejud.i.c.ae n aO rheBrl inSdp ars 40
.....•••......
CHAPTE3R
Memory,S e[lhfe- jusHciisflyOirniga n 68
......•...•...........
CHAPTE4R
GoodI ntentBiaodnS sc,i ence:
TheC losLeodo pof C liniJcuadlg me.n.t.. .•...•...•......9. 7
CHAPTE5R
Lawa ndD isorder 127
.....•..••..••...• . . . •..••...•. . . . . .
CHAPTE6R
LoueA'sss assSienl:f -justiitfM!ia crartii,ao gne 158
....... • . . . . .
x CONTENTS
CHAPTE7R
WounRdifst,as n,Wd a rs 185
......................... . .....
CHAPTE8R
LelfGioan ngOa' w niUnpg 213
..............•...•...•......
AFTERWORD 237
. . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . .. . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . .
ENDNOTES 239
. . • • • . . . . . . . . . .
INDEX 277
. . . . . . • . . . . . • • • . . • • . . . . . . . • • • . • . • . . • . . . . . .
MistakWeesr eM ade
(bunrot b y me)
INTRODUCTION
o o o
KnaveFso,o lVsi,l laainndHs y,po crites:
HowD oT heLy ivwei tThh emselves?
Mistakweesr qeu iptoes simbaldyeb yt haed ministirnaw thiiocInh s
served.
-HenryK issinrgeesrp,o ntod icnhga rg[ehats h ec ommitted
war crimienhs i s irnot lheUe niteSdt araecst'i ionn s
1970$
VietnCaamm,b odainad,S ourAhm eriicnta h e
If,i nh indsighatl,s doiw sec otvhearmt i stamkaeysh avbee en
mad.e. .I a md eepsloyr ry.
-CardinEadlw arEdg aonf N ewY orrke,f ertroti hnbegi shops
who fatiold eedawl i tchh imlodl esrearmso ntgh Cea thoclliecr gy
Mistawkeersme a dei nc ommunictaott ihnpegu blaincdCUS [Qrners
aboutth ien grediinoe unFrtr se nch afnrdhi aesbshr owns.
-McDonalda'pso,l ogitzoHi inngd uasn do thevre getarians
fofra iltioin ngf otrhme tmh atth �en atufrlaalv oring�
int hepiort atcooenst aibneeedf byproducrs
2 CAROLT AVRIliSn dE lLIOTA RONSON
Thiwse ekq'use stHioowncan : YOLIre wlhle np.ar esidsceanntdiisaa ll
serious?
A.T hep residpoelnlnt u'msb edrrso p.
B.T hep regsoess aftheirm .
C.T heo pposictailfolonsh ri ism peachmem.
D.H iso wnp arrym embeturnr so nh im.
E.O rt he WhHiotuess ea y"sm,i stakewse rmea de."
-BilSlc hneoinCd NerN 'Isn sPoildei tics
AS FALLWLHEU MAN BEINGSa.l olf u ss harteh ei mpultsoe
justoiufyr selavnedas v oitda kirnegs ponsifboiarln iyat cyt itohnast
turonu rt obe harmfiumlm.o raorls ,t upMiods.t uoswf i lnle vebre
ina p osit(i0m oank ed ecisafifeocntsi tnhgel ivesd eaantdoh fms il�
lioonfsp eoplbeu,tw hethtehrec onsequeonfc eosu r miasrtea kes
trivoirta rla goinca ,s maslcla oJrea n atiocnaanlv maoss,t uosfif n d
itd ifficuilfnt o,t i mpossito bslaey",,I w asw ronIgm ;a dea t errible
mistakTeh.eh "i ghtehrse t akes-emotfiinoannaclim.ao lr,a l-the
greattheedr i fficulty.
Itg oefsu rtmhaernt haMto:s tp eoplweh.e nd ireCctolnyf ronted.
bye videtnhcaett h eayr wer ondgo.n otc hantghee piori notfv iew
orc oursea cotfib ountj ustiitefy v emno ret enacioEwvleyni. r re
futaebvlied einsrc aer eelnyo ugthop iertcheem entaarlm oorfs elf
justificWahteinow ne.b egawno rkionngt hibso okt.h ep ostbeory
fo"rt enacdiionugsi tnoag d iscrebdeiltiewedaf sG" e orgWe B ush.
Bushw asw ronign h icsl aimma tS addaHmu ssehiandw eapoonfs
masdse struchteiw oansw, r onignd aimimnagt S addawasm linked
wimAJ Qaedah.e w asw ronign p redictthianItgr aqwiosu lbde
dancijnogy fuilntl hye s treteotr se cetihvAeem ericsaonl diheer s,
was wrong priend ictthianttgh ceo nfliwcotu lbde o ver quickly. he
was wrionhn iggs r ousnsd erestoiftm hafietn ea ncCiOaSlot ft hwea r,
andh ew asm osfta mouswlryo nign h ipsh oto-soppe escihwx e eks
afttehrie n vasbieogna wnh.e nh ea nnounc{eudn daeb ra nner read-
