Fatal Flaws Don't Have To Be Fatal

For each of us, some of the most important truths are things about ourselves that seem like bad news—though usually they are not news at all to anyone but ourselves. And they are only bad news to me or you because you and I have been in denial.

Overcoming denial about one’s own flaws is crucial for becoming a better person. But it is hard. I have two hacks to make it a bit easier. First, I tell myself in that crucial moment when denial is a strong temptation that facing the truth doesn’t mean I have to do anything about it. Some people might be shocked at the idea that one could see something egregious and do nothing about it, but that seems a much smaller danger to me than refusing to see something. If you use this hack, there might be a bit of delay between facing the truth and doing something about it—and sometimes a long delay—but after you get used to that hard truth you will probably be able to gingerly begin thinking if you want to do anything about it.

The second hack is repeating to myself the maxim above: “Fatal flaws don’t have to be fatal.” In saying this, I am consciously using the word “fatal” in two different senses. A “fatal flaw” is used loosely to mean a very serious flaw. The very serious, genuinely bad, shameful flaws you have might seem they could do you in, or make you unworthy of a spot on this planet. But (knowing my readers), however bad they seem, I claim that they are, in fact, unlikely to do you in, and unlikely to make anyone else think you unworthy of a spot on this planet.

Lately, while doing my nightly stretches in my study, I have been listening to Jordan Peterson on YouTube. Jordan Peterson has been slandered by some who put political projects ahead of other values. Disregard those slanders. He has a lot of important things to say and is good at making his case. I recommend listening to some of his talks and Q&A sessions. My experience has been that going to the YouTube video randomly except for whatever help YouTube’s algorithm gives me works fine to get to good stuff. One of Jordan’s big themes is a tragic view of life, in the deep sense of “tragic.” He argues for example, that based on what actually happened under Hitler—an in particular how many ordinary people went along with the evil—that almost all of us, in the same situation would act as the concentration camp guards did. We have that potential for evil within us.

Fortunately, most of us are not in situations that encourage us in evil to the extent that the Third Reich did. But almost all of us do quite bad things even in the situations we are actually in. Jordan emphasizes that we have badness within, but we can become better by working at becoming better. Those who have spent a long lifetime trying to become better almost always in fact become better than those who just stay as they are.

Albertus Magnus emphasizes the trio of goodness, truth and beauty. There is a general regularity that almost all desirable things are positively correlated in the cross-section; and there are causal relationships between goodness, beauty and the knowledge of truth; but they are distinct concepts. We need them all:

“Goodness and beauty without truth are doomed.

Goodness and truth without beauty are grim.

Truth and beauty without goodness are cold.”

Truth is the particular responsibility of scientists. I wrote “Virtues for Economists” with that in mind.

I have two thoughts on beauty. First, I highly recommend the Zen koan practice in the “Waking Up” meditation app. Koans—carefully crafted, seemingly paradoxical statements—are, I believe, a way of gaining fuller access to the beautiful, holistic way of seeing that the right hemispheres of our brains are putting together all the time. Second, my personal value on beauty is such that I have decided to relatively freely retweet what I consider beautiful art on my Twitter feed. In between the tweets trying to seek truth, there are many trying to seek beauty.

As for goodness, in practice the best way I know to foster goodness is the approach I describe in “How Economists Can Enhance Their Scientific Creativity, Engagement and Impact.” (Also see “Reactions to Miles’s Program For Enhancing Economists’ Scientific Creativity, Engagement and Impact.”)

If you pursue all three of goodness, beauty and truth, you will become better and your life will get better. In the meanwhile, remember that fatal flaws don’t have to be fatal.

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