Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) is a 2007 non-fiction book by social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson.

It describes a positive feedback loop of action and self-deception by which slight differences between people's attitudes become polarized.

[1] Michael Shermer, in the Scientific American, wrote that Tavris and Aronson brilliantly illuminate the fallacies that underlie irrational behavior.

[2] A review in O, The Oprah Magazine praised the book for "the scientific evidence it provides and the charm of its down-to-earth, commonsensical tone.” [3] A review in The Guardian described the book as "excellent" and suggests the quotation, "If mistakes were made, memory helps us remember that they were made by someone else,” should be printed on autobiographies and political memoirs as a warning to the public.

[4] The British comedian and novelist Alexei Sayle listed the book among his six favorites, recommending it as "endlessly fascinating, if you're interested in politics.