Wilful Blindness

Fully revised and updated since its first publication in 2011 to encompass further appalling instances of wilful blindness: Grenfell Tower, Carillion, Harvey Weinstein, Windrush and many more Why, after every major accident and blunder, do we look back and ask, how could we have been so blind ? Why do some people see what others don't? And how can we change ? Drawing on studies by psychologists and neuroscientists, and from interviews with business leaders , whistle blowers and white collar criminals , distinguished businesswoman and writer Margaret Heffernan examines the phenomenon of wilful blindness , exploring the reasons that individuals and groups are blind to impending personal tragedies, corporate collapses, engineering failures – even crimes against humanity. We turn a blind eye in order to feel safe, to avoid conflict, to reduce anxiety and to protect prestige . It makes us feel good at first, with consequences we don’t see. But greater understanding leads to solutions, and Heffernan shows how – by challenging our biases, encouraging debate, discouraging conformity, and not backing away from difficult or complicated problems – we can be more mindful of what's going on around us and be proactive instead of reactive.