Summary of Kathryn Schulz's Being Wrong

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Sample Book Insights:

#1 Rightness is a second-order pleasure, meaning that it is not very enjoyable itself, but it is the basis for many other enjoyable experiences. It is essential for our survival, and it gives us a sense of being smart, competent, and in tune with our environment.

#2 We as a culture tend to view error as rare and bizarre. We regard it as a sign of intellectual inferiority, and we feel idiotic and ashamed when we are wrong. But error is a crucial part of how we learn and change.

#3 We live in a culture that despises error, but we don’t have any tools for dealing with it. We typically respond to mistakes by denying, defending, ignoring, downplaying, or blaming them on someone else.

#4 We have mastered two ways to handle our mistakes: we can add a small but strategic addendum to our mistakes, saying we were wrong but. . , and we can point out other people's mistakes. We love to revel in other people's mistakes.