Skip to content

Discredited Quote by Carol Tavris

“Most people, when directly confronted by evidence that they are wrong, do not change their point of view or course of action but justify it even more tenaciously. Even irrefutable evidence is rarely enough to pierce the mental armor of self-justification. When we began working on this book, the…” quote by Carol Tavris
Download Open image
““Most people, when directly confronted by evidence that they are wrong, do not change their point of view or course of action but justify it even more tenaciously. Even irrefutable evidence is rarely enough to pierce the mental armor of self-justification. When we began working on this book, the poster boy for "tenacious clinging to a discredited belief" was George W. Bush. Bush was wrong in his claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, he was wrong in claiming that Saddam was linked with Al Qaeda, he was wrong in predicting that Iraqis would be dancing joyfully in the streets to receive the American soldiers, he was wrong in predicting that the conflict would be over quickly, he was wrong in his gross underestimate of the financial cost of the war, and he was most famously wrong in his photo-op speech six weeks after the invasion began, when he announced (under a banner reading MISSION ACCOMPLISHED) that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended.””

Carol Tavris

About This Quote

Source Book: The Confidence Game, by Maria Konnikova, 2016

People cling to false beliefs even when faced with clear evidence, protecting their self‑image through rationalization.

In simple terms: People resist changing wrong ideas even when proven wrong.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and question your own justifications.

Themes

cognition bias beliefs

Mood

frustrated reflective

Type

psychological observational

When to use this quote

  • political discourse
  • scientific debate
  • personal relationships
  • media consumption

Key Concepts

self‑justification motivated reasoning

Questions to Reflect On

  • Why do you double‑down on a belief when challenged?
  • How can empathy reduce defensive reasoning?
A Different Perspective

Evidence alone may not change minds without emotional engagement.

4.5 out of 5 (9 ratings)

More by Carol Tavris

Explore all 37 Carol Tavris quotes

More Discredited quotes

Browse all 21 Discredited quotes