Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) — Deep Dive (Self-Justification & Cognitive Dissonance)

Welcome to Crisis in Perception. In this episode, we explore Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) — Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson’s influential investigation into self-justification, cognitive dissonance, and the psychological mechanisms that keep us from seeing our own errors clearly. This Deep Dive examines why admitting mistakes feels threatening, how we unconsciously rationalize harmful decisions, and why these mental habits can escalate personal, professional, and societal problems. Drawing from decades of psychological research, the episode reveals how self-justification shapes relationships, politics, medicine, criminal justice, and everyday choices. This episode explores: • the fundamentals of cognitive dissonance theory • why self-justification feels necessary for self-esteem • how small biases escalate into entrenched false beliefs • examples from politics, including the Iraq War • wrongful convictions and why prosecutors double down • conflicts of interest in medicine and the therapy “memory wars” • how self-justification damages relationships and institutions • what it takes to build a culture that accepts mistakes Our goal is to connect ideas, challenge assumptions, and illuminate the hidden psychological forces that distort our perception of ourselves and the world.