Why is it so hard to say “I made a mistake”—and really believe it?
When we make mistakes, cling to outdated attitudes, or mistreat other people, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jars our feelings of self-worth.
And so, unconsciously, we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility, restoring our belief that we are smart, moral, and right—a belief that often keeps us on a course that is foolish, immoral, and wrong.
There is a better, more responsible way.
In this webinar presented by Carol Tavris, backed by years of her research, you will learn:
- A fascinating explanation of how self justification works.
- The damage self justification can cause.
- How to overcome self justification to take accountability for, learn from, and grow from mistakes.
About the Speaker: Carol Tavris
Dr. Carol Tavris’s work as a writer, teacher, and lecturer has been devoted to educating the public about psychological science.
She has spoken to students, psychologists, mediators, lawyers, judges, physicians, business executives, and general audiences on, among other topics, self-justification; science and pseudoscience in psychology; gender and sexuality; critical thinking; anger; and, most recently, hormone therapy for women in menopause and beyond.
Dr. Tavris has written hundreds of articles, op-eds, book reviews, and essays on a wide range of psychological topics, with a focus on contentious political issues and outbreaks of social contagions, when ideological convictions tend to supersede evidence. Her column for Skeptic magazine has featured these essays.
Tags:
accountability and growth, cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, decision making mistakes, personal development, professional development, self justification
