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A review by brontherun
Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error by Kathryn Schulz
4.0
Kathryn Schulz delves into all the ways we can be wrong, explaining the strange whys and hows or error generation, denial, and results. The fact that the fabric of humanity is interwoven with error and inseparable from the state of being human is something abput which most of us live in denial.
Schulz uncovers some of the universal characteristics of being wrong in a way that is more palatable than some of the ways society reminds us we are wrong. We are wired to resist the notion of our own fallibility, so this deft touch is necessary in order to circumvent our natural resistance. At the same time, she highlights the benefits of acknowledging and embracing our error in order to better our communities, our interpersonal relationships, and ourselves. For example:
"This is one of the most powerful ways being wrong can transform us. It can help us be more compassionate people. Being right might be fun, but as we've seen, it has a tendency to bring out the worst in us. By contrast, being wrong might is often the furthest thing in the world from fun, and yet, in the end, it has the potential to bring out the best in us. Or, rather, to change us for the better."
This book now is added to 2 others - Tim Nochols' The Death of Expertise and Han Roslings's Factfulness- that I would recommend to any of my acquaintances who are trying to grapple with the perceived and real societal grievances battering for their attention. Schulz can get a little long-winded in places, but this is a deep topic and I found that if I hung with her she eventually led me to her point.
One of my favorite passages is what I hope people gain from reading this book:
"If you really want to be right, or at least improve the odds of being right, you have to start by acknowledging your fallibility. Deliberately seeking out your mistakes. And figuring out what caused you to make them."
Schulz uncovers some of the universal characteristics of being wrong in a way that is more palatable than some of the ways society reminds us we are wrong. We are wired to resist the notion of our own fallibility, so this deft touch is necessary in order to circumvent our natural resistance. At the same time, she highlights the benefits of acknowledging and embracing our error in order to better our communities, our interpersonal relationships, and ourselves. For example:
"This is one of the most powerful ways being wrong can transform us. It can help us be more compassionate people. Being right might be fun, but as we've seen, it has a tendency to bring out the worst in us. By contrast, being wrong might is often the furthest thing in the world from fun, and yet, in the end, it has the potential to bring out the best in us. Or, rather, to change us for the better."
This book now is added to 2 others - Tim Nochols' The Death of Expertise and Han Roslings's Factfulness- that I would recommend to any of my acquaintances who are trying to grapple with the perceived and real societal grievances battering for their attention. Schulz can get a little long-winded in places, but this is a deep topic and I found that if I hung with her she eventually led me to her point.
One of my favorite passages is what I hope people gain from reading this book:
"If you really want to be right, or at least improve the odds of being right, you have to start by acknowledging your fallibility. Deliberately seeking out your mistakes. And figuring out what caused you to make them."