Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts

by Carol Tavris

Feeling like a victim of injustice in one situation does not make us less likely to commit an injustice against someone else, nor does it make us more sympathetic to victims. It’s as if there is a brick wall between those two sets of experiences, blocking our ability to see the other side. One of the reasons for that brick wall is that pain felt is always more intense than pain inflicted, even when the actual amount of pain is identical.

In the final analysis, a nation’s character, and an individual’s integrity, do not depend on being error free. It depends on what we do after making the error.

He considers those who point out his faults as his most benevolent teachers.

That was nothing compared to Lindsey Graham’s comments on him prior to the election: “You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.” He added: He’s a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot. He doesn’t represent my party. He doesn’t represent the values that the men and women who wear the uniform are fighting for. . . . I don’t think he has a clue about anything. He’s just trying to get his numbers up and get the biggest reaction he can. He is helping the enemy of this nation. He is empowering radical Islam. And if he knew anything about the world at all, [he] would know that most Muslims reject [radical] ideology.11 My, how far they have fallen.