Two distinguished psychologists look at the role of self-justification in human life, explaining how and why we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility and restore our belief in our intelligence, moral rectitude, and correctness; assess the potential repercussions of such a course of action; and reveal how it can be overcome. Reprint.

Autorentext

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.

Klappentext
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.