Book Reading #50 - Why We Make Mistakes

Title:
Chapter 12: We’ Don’t Constrain Ourselves
Chapter 13: The Grass Does Look Greener
Conclusion:

Reference:
Hallinan, Joseph.  Why We Make Mistakes.  Random House, Inc.c New York.  2009

Summary:
Chapter 12: We’ Don’t Constrain Ourselves

This chapter discussed affordances and constraints.  It spoke of how medicine is sometimes difficult to distinguish because things look the same and are named similar things.

It was shown that the navy and more generally pilots have a low rate of error in the tasks they go about in the navy.  Medical people compared with the navy has a much higher rate of error.  The root causes of these errors must be looked at rather than just the last person to cause the error.  Also, with pilots, communication when a problem is seen and encouraged while in medical situations nurses more often keep quiet if they see something they do not agree with.

Chapter 13: The Grass Does Look Greener

This chapter shows how we always view things better in other places, but usually the content of life is the same.  It gives the example of California versus Oregon or something like that and finds that the level of contentment is pretty much the same, though both places viewed California as the ideal better place to live.

We feel that in the future we will want something that is more beneficial to us than we actualize.  It is the same kind of thing as the idea of choosing food now (candy) or later (healthy).  Gift cards are a bad idea because we mispredict.

"Hope impedes adaptation" is the idea that people are more content when they are stuck in a situation than if they were to have options.

When making decisions, we often focus on the wrong things.

Conclusion:

The conclusion sums up the whole book.  It pretty much touches on each focus of each chapter.  It says to think negatively, think realistically, and plan ahead.  We should get sleep and be happy.  Money does not affect happiness.  Learn to love the things about the specific environment you are in.

Discussion:
While chapter 12 did not discuss anything new to me, the idea of communication between ranks when a problem is seen was important to me.  This crosses over to every platform of society.  As religion is what interests me the most, it is natural for me to default my thoughts to this topic.  Hence, I see it necessary for lay people to communicate to those in staff positions and leadership positions when a seeming problem is seen.

I think it is interesting that we are more discontent when we have choices or the possibility of reversal.  This can kind of be seen in having many options.  I like having few options because it is easier to decide.

Honestly, blown away by this conclusion.  Awesome stuff!  What a great book.