Mistakes Were Made (but not by me)
I recently finished reading this excellent book, Mistakes Were Made (but not by me), written by social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson.
It addresses the ubiquitous human traits of self-justification and failure to take responsibility for our mistakes.
How does this happen? Why is it that we can so easily see the mistakes and hypocrisy of others, but have such a difficult time seeing our own? Why is it that when others make a mistake, we would have more respect for them if they offered a genuine admission of error and a heartfelt apology; but when it comes to ourselves, we often find it so very difficult to do?
In their book, Tavris and Aronson explain how cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias operate on the human mind to reinforce our beliefs while allowing us to rationalize and justify our actions and behaviors.
Once an individual has committed to a particular course of action, a set of beliefs, political affiliation, philosophical position or whatever, that individual is very unlikely to change course. The further down the road they travel, the less likely they are to change direction, let alone make a reversal.
And the more they have invested—financially, emotionally, in time or reputation—the less likely they are to admit that they have made a mistake, even when presented with overwhelming, irrefutable evidence that proves their error. We can be guilty of this too.
The authors discuss a variety of instances of this behavior through well-known, high profile examples in politics, law-enforcement, the judiciary, religion and scientific fields.
Of course, it is easy to see how this behavior applies to the leadership of the WTBTS. It is a well-established fact that they continually change doctrines and teachings to cover-up their long-standing record of failed predictions and prophesies while never clearly and unequivocally admitting their error and uncertainty.
But many of us struggle to understand the complicity on the part of the R&F Witnesses in this charade. How is it that those “still-in” can stay “still-in”? Why don’t they call, “Bullshit!” whenever the WT spews yet another nonsensical, contradictory, confusing and illogical “New Light” teaching?
Seriously, how can anyone with even half a brain accept something as ridiculous as the recent “Overlapping Generation” explanation for the fact that Armageddon hasn’t come yet? This book will help you understand how JWs can accept the word “evidently” in place of actual, real evidence.
Do you wonder: Why is it that the Governing Body can get away with what should be a blatant and obvious “power grab” with their brand new "adjustment in our understanding" change of the identification of the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" class? Why don’t the “anointed ones” around the world rise up in protest at their sudden, unilateral expulsion from the “Faithful and Discreet Slave” class? Why don’t all the JWs in Kingdom Halls around the world jump up out of their seats and shout, “Wait a second! If this is true, then that means that The WT Leadership has been wrong about their own identity for the last 93 years! And if that is true, then they’re possibly wrong about this idea too. Why do I need to listen to them about anything?”
This book will help you understand the reasons for this baffling, puzzling behavior.
Psychologists Tavris and Aronson explain the psychological mechanisms at work that enable otherwise intelligent, rational human being to maintain completely illogical, unfounded and irrational beliefs.
This book is a fascinating and insightful read. I highly recommend it. Read it and you’ll no doubt gain some new and deeper insight and understanding into the inner workings of the human mind. While not specifically about cult mind-control, it nevertheless sheds light on the psychological mechanisms at work on those under its influence. It may even help you understand yourself a little bit better, particularly in reference to how you could have ever believed the nonsense that JWs believe and why it was that you were able to wake up to The Truth About The Truth (TTATT) while others have not.
It worked for me!