Could You Be Wrong?

This new book is available on Kindle

This 2010 book is about people possessing a belief and later discovering they were wrong.  For example, a KKK leader in Durham, North Carolina hated a group of people and later discovered he was wrong to feel that way.

Another example was a woman who grew up believing that abortion is murder and later decided to have an abortion when she became a married adult.  Other example included medical professionals performing surgery on a body part and then discovering they operated on the wrong organ.  (Medical errors are the 8th leading cause of deaths in the United States.)

Being Wrong explores buyer's remorse, religious belief, opinions about others, and errors made in court that imprison innocent people.  See the link here about a Winston-Salem woman who helped send an innocent man to prison for a life sentence. These are examples of mistakes made by well meaning people.  How does this happen?  How does the human psyche cope at the moment when a belief is learned to be mistaken?  How can people avoid being wrong?

Answers to questions like these are examined in this very interesting book. Below are some notable quotes from the book:

"Groupthink most commonly affects homogeneous, close-knit communities that are overly insulated from internal and external criticism...."

"... how we react when our convictions collapse out from under us, and how we are changed from the experience."

"... buyer's remorse is a failure to accurately predict our own needs, desires, beliefs, and emotions..."

"This is one of the most powerful ways being wrong can transform us: it can help us become more compassionate people."

"Studies have shown that, on average, doctors interrupt their patients eighteen seconds after they have started explaining the reason for their visit."

"As soon as we think we are right about something, we narrow our focus, attending only to details that support our belief, or ceasing to listen altogether."

So, what is the lesson?  The lesson for everyone is to consider the possibility that our opinion or belief may not be accurate.  How can we avoid being wrong?  One way is for some people is to stop talking so much and begin to listen more.  Another way is to listen more carefully and keep an open mind.  Personal growth occurs when one discovers an error in their opinion or belief.

I recommend this book.

Have a good week!