Kathryn Schulz Being Wrong Summary

In “Being Wrong” Kathryn Schulz discuses why people enjoy being right and the effects of them discovering they're wrong. The book explains how people live in a culture that “simultaneously despises error and insists that its central to our lives” which leads them hesitant to admit they are wrong (6). I wonder if the negativity towards errors has increased as a culture due to the recent influence and popularity of social media, which mostly displays constant perfection and success in peoples lives. This could be empirically tested by asking those with and without social media their opinion of the severity involved in being wrong and making mistakes in order to compare the data. Also, Schulz describes how people look for a leader who is confident
because it eases their own personal doubt and pressure (173). To me this could justify why so many people voted for Donald Trump in the recent presidential election; although most of his ideas were viewed as absurd and unreasonable he still won the election. Despite most people seeming to be against his opinions, his victory in the election can attest how his confidence and assurance swayed many voters who were unsure with the future of the nation.