Really good book on the psychology behind rationalization
I just finished reading Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Travis and Elliot Aronson. There are already a ton of reviews on Amazon that discuss the book in detail, so I’ll just give the 2 cent summary: It covers how once people make a decision, they will generally change their perception of the facts and alter their behavior in order to reduce cognitive dissonance that it might not have been the best choice. There are a lot of case studies used in the book that explain many interesting scenarios. The book also talks about how to avoid falling into the trap of self-justification so that one can admit and learn from their mistakes.
I really liked the book, it gave me some insight into decisions and the resulting actions I’ve made in the past that I’m not particularly proud of. After reading the book I feel better equipped to analyze my own behavior and hopefully it will help reduce some of the self-justification I’ll do in the future. I’m going to bring it into the office, so if anyone that works with me wants to borrow it just let me know.