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Damon Horowitz

In-House Philosopher, Google

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LIVE CHAT With Damon Horowitz: When have you realized that you were wrong about what you once thought was right? June 8, 2011, 5-6PM EDT

Join us for a LIVE conversation with serial entrepreneur, philosophy professor, and Google Director of Engineering, Damon Horowitz.

This conversation will open at 5:00PM EDT, June 8th, 2011.

"I am curious to hear what prompts people to moral reflection and reconsideration: When have you realized that you were wrong about what you once thought was right?"

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Closing Statement from Damon Horowitz

I’d like to thank everyone for sharing their thoughts and experiences here. My TEDxSV talk was intended as a provocation for the technology industry in particular to reflect further upon our ethical decision making – but I am delighted to see that it has encouraged much broader discussion.

The prominent themes I hear in this conversation reinforce the value of education, experience, and humility in our moral development. So long as we continually challenge ourselves to question our beliefs, there is some small possibility that we will not always be wrong about what is right.

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    Stephen Manzano

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    Jun 8 2011: I think through experience we benefit what works for us at the moment.

  • Jeff Babiak

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    Jun 8 2011: I find it funny how the life-changing individuals were the once thought the "insane" ones (Einstein, Edison, etc.) because they thought very differently from the rest of society. I think this says something about our current general society more than it does about our possible future potential.

  • Terence Rose

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    Jun 8 2011: I use to think that I could only learn from people smarter than me, but I've learned that one can learn something from the most unthinkable people and places.

  • Niel Malan

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    Jun 8 2011: I changed my mind about global warming. I'm not sure what made me become an environmentalist. I turned from being industrial-minded to being convinced we're doing great damage to nature. This came about through getting myself better educated, in part, but I'm not sure what made me swing the other way. There wasn't a sudden conversion.

  • Rebekah Thompson

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    Jun 8 2011: In order to operate and reach lasting success individuals must capture TRUTH and discover blindsides of manipulation and deceit. As one experiences life's challenges head on it becomes clear lies and false ideologies have no real substance. Individuals seek a higher power for comfort, enlightenment, strength, wisdom and courage. At different times and for a myriad of reasons beyond what I have noted people search for meaning and purpose. The proud have no need for spiritual influence for they alone are their god, knowingly or unknowingly.

    One has to be humble and eager to learn TRUTH. Lies are all around. It takes faith in the TRUTH to believe in the impossible and beyond all circumstances that doing the right thing in the end will cause one to prevail.
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    Stephanie L. Borges

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    Jun 8 2011: Thank you so much for this. It was very powerful!
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    Jodi Hill

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    Jun 8 2011: I'm wondering, what has the Boomer generation inaugurated morally and how has it helped or destroyed our moral compass?
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    Adriana Partini

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    Jun 8 2011: I tend to change my opinion on something, someone only after I put myself in front of the reality. It surely is comfortable to believe in something that makes one feel good but in long term does not deliver serenity. Perhaps facing reality can be brutal sometimes but definitely not damaging in long term, as long as one knows how to deal with it.
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    Muhammad Ahmed

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    Jun 8 2011: I realize im wrong only when i think that every body has a right to have their own views and beliefs. Only then is that i evaluate their ideas as equal and thus am able to let go of my own to be replaced by something new.
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    Jeanne Francis

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    Jun 8 2011: I recently learned I was wrong about my own thoughts. I learned that I don't control thoughts from coming into my head. They just come. The beauty of this realization is that I can choose which thoughts I want to give attention to, and the others I can let go to be replaced with new thoughts. This gives me freedom for unlimited potential and access to my own creativity. I no longer feel burdened by negative thoughts that I think should be wrong, rather, I just make room for them to pass me by.
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    inthegarden beyondthecave

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    Jun 8 2011: Thinking in the shower or while waiting in line or while driving changes me. It is the rehersal for what I will write later. It covers a lot of territory. It is the desire to write it right when I get to it that keeps me covering more and more territory while taking a shower.
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    inthegarden beyondthecave

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    Jun 8 2011: Also, writing changes me. It makes me walk through the steps of thought to see where they really take me.

    • Alexis Darrough

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      Jun 8 2011: Putting one's thoughts down on (virtual) paper has a sense of finality to it that pushes us to refine our thoughts, lest we be incorrectly labeled. If others can read it and we can expect their critique, we want to show that we have well thought out our stance and put some effort into making sure it labels us correctly. Few people like being told what they 'really' think by their opponent in a debate, especially when it's based on a poorly expressed written statement.
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    Nick Detmer

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    Jun 8 2011: On a comment I saw earlier you noted Eli Pariser who posted a great video on the filtration of information. On your comment below you mentioned 'we can of course do this on our own' which is obviously the ideal scenario. I find that my views on certain subject matters are often changing based on my conversations with very convincing fact-barfing types because it appeals to the scientist part of my brain.

    Often as I challenge the view and position I had taken, I find that the facts were often skewed and misrepresented without context. Generally these were provided by mainstream newspapers and media who do not provide the underlying 'evidence' alongside their quotes. I may often be wrong, but I feel like even an opposing view is just as wrong due to the injustice they give to show evidence of their fact. How does one determine whether if they are even changing to the 'right' position?
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    Glenn Barres

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    Jun 8 2011: Realizing the impact of my choices prompts me to do the most reflection. Not just how they effect people I know and love, but also the total stranger. Making it a practice to observe my actions without bias towards the outcome has made it an automatic step in my day-to-day operations. It has influenced the way I shop, the way I eat, and they way I communicate. It has effected my dreams and my life's mission. It has also made a difference in the type of people I associate with now, by proxy and by choice.

    In making "the quest for Absolute Truth" one of the guiding principles of my life, it has transformed me in ways I never thought possible. It has dissolved some bonds yet strengthened others. This realization of what is was right but now is wrong occurs everyday. Especially in terms of being more conscious of the supply chain. Too many of our goods are plagued by slave labor and this has to stop. The "stopping" starts with us by making better choices in what we buy and what companies we support.
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    Wayne Upchurch

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    Jun 8 2011: Another humility-generating moment that linked up with some previous thoughts and experiences came when a new relationship generated a conversation in which my new sweetheart said to me, "Oooohh.. I see.. YOU think that you're one of the Good Guys!"
    I have to say that led to a shift in my thinking, if not my underlying beliefs; it was another step toward realizing that, while we are valuable parts of the whole of humanity/life, I am sometimes being a "good guy", sometimes choosing to be a "bad guy", but really am neither one, intrinsically. It's my conscious choices that have the consequences and have social or moral "value", and then, only as a result.
    That really took the wind out of the sails of my ego self, and helped me be more aware of when I'm living out a kind of self-righteousness.

  • Maisam Najafizada

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    Jun 8 2011: - When I dared to question my belief system and look for an answer, I realized that I was wrong about what I once thought was right. My beliefs changed entirely. But once I questioned my new beliefs, I thought I was wrong about them too. I learned new stuff and starting to think differently once again. Finally, I understood that as long as I question myself, I will keep changing my answers, and that's the beautify of self-searching and curiosity.
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      Damon Horowitz 50+

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      TED Attendee
      Jun 8 2011: Wonderfully told, that tale of the cycle of questioning.
      If there is a virtue that persists across time, it is the virtue of humility.
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    inthegarden beyondthecave

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    Jun 8 2011: Books change me. They let me see something in a systematic light. More often than cause a reversal, they give me more depth where there was less. I encounter new systematic perspectives and see how those perspectives interweave with my own.

  • amy senglin

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    Jun 8 2011: Intuition usually prevails. No matter if I staunchly believe something to be right. Try to keep it genuine and authentic at all times. Intuition forces one to face a reality. That reality is usually one we have very little control of as well.

  • Daniel Nica

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    Jun 8 2011: I was told long time ago that I have a very strong personality, that to achieve something I deem worth fighting for, I put so much passion in my doings, that others around me can easily mistake for domination.
    Since this is surely not my intent, since I don't want the power of my passion to push people away or worse, be seen as an infringement of their free will, I made it a habit that right after I get what I want to step back for a second and look again at the big picture. Re-evaluate everything through the light of the moral system that governs me. Sometimes I find that I was wrong, I apologize and restart with new hopes.
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    Veronica Michaelides

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    Jun 8 2011: There was this moment when I wanted to react negatively towards a friend who was not very nice towards me at the time. I felt that the only thing there was to do was to actually be nice to her. Nicer than I ever was towards her before. Sounds generic but at that moment I realized that, falling back to my comfortable response to people who have problematic behavior and letting them be until they "feel better" or put a wall up etc. this time I made a conscious choice to give something more than I ever did back to her. I learned that taking that extra step to go beyond protecting my boundaries and into taking action was very dynamic and beneficial.
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    Andrew Buchmann

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    Jun 8 2011: First off, I just wanted to say your talk was very moving Dr.Horowitz!

    Now for my question...
    I'm currently reading Sam Harris' book, "The Moral Landscape." I was wondering if you were familiar with his arguments and if so, what is your take on the matter? I personally find Dr.Harris' moral landscape very compelling.

    Even if I don't get a response, it was still a pleasure watching your talk!

  • Lynn Matthews

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    Jun 8 2011: I have worked in different employment sectors and each time I move into working within the private sector, I have a Dabrowskian-style moral breakdown. Having your optimism about the fundimental goodness of people being knocked out of you by reality, is not a wrong that society should feel proud about.
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    Jenny Zurawell 100+

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    TED StaffTED AttendeeTED TranslatorAssociate
    Jun 8 2011: I think I've made decisions that I later deemed wrong because I based the decisions on incomplete information, or I didn't fully think through/know the consequences that would result in any tangible way. (People don't often deliberately make wrong decisions.) When someone's in a new situation, or one they haven't thought intensely about, it can be difficult to fully imagine the possibilities that are clear in hindsight. Experience, I think, is something that has changed my view on past decisions, and also the way I make decisions going forward -- and a lot of the time, experience simply entails really, really listening to other people's perspectives and personal stories.
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      Damon Horowitz 50+

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      TED Attendee
      Jun 8 2011: There are a number of threads of philosophical discussion on the subject of ethical decision making in conditions of incomplete information, or other kinds of uncertainty. Many of these take as their starting point Mill's version of utilitarianism, and the proposition that perhaps we can only be held morally responsible -- praise- or blame- worthy -- for those consequences of our actions that we were able to predict... or should have been able to predict. Of course, that particular line presupposes already a consequentialist framework, but it also does dovetail in an interesting way with the question of how we might reevaluate our positions.
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      Fatemeh Khatibloo

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      Jun 8 2011: As I think on this, I realize that many of the decision that I later decided were ethical mistakes were made after too MUCH contemplation. In contrast, those decisions that were made wholly by gut, and which seemed to have no other possible outcome are rarely the ones I regret or feel were wrong.

      This seems paradoxical, but it somehow calls to mind the concept of kin selection in genes. Is my ability to see something as "wrong" affected by how viscerally I felt (or feel) about its value or importance to me?

  • Peter Rod

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    Jun 8 2011: Mr. Horowitz, I would like to ask what do you see as main ideology in current IT development. Is it really only profit? Do you think, if there's potential of change in future?
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      Damon Horowitz 50+

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      TED Attendee
      Jun 8 2011: In the present venue, I'm mainly interested in facilitating other peoples' reflection upon the moral dimension of their circumstances. But if asked to offer my own opinion...
      ...I would say that the challenge for the technology industry today is that we have found ourselves to be so extraordinarily successful at building devices which capture peoples' attention (and therefore, their dollars), and we have done so in an environment which allows us to rapidly observe the short-term effects of our design choices (say, which of two possible landing pages on a site has higher conversions)... and thus, as a consequence, most decisions tend to get made on the basis of what might optimize the usage/purchase numbers for our products. We are very good at optimizing for this, we know how to do it, it is easy -- and so we do it.
      In other words, what is missing is consideration of longer-term consequences of the things that we build, and reflection upon whether the choices we are making even now may be questionable on intrinsic grounds, regardless of their short-term benefits.

      • Lynne Wainfan 500+

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        TED AttendeeTEDx OrganizerAssociate
        Jun 8 2011: Damon, would you agree that the time frames of our perspectives are shrinking in general? Don't we tend to go for immediate gratification/entertainment rather than investing now for longer-term happiness?

  • Maren Hogan

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    Jun 8 2011: As I read through all the comments it strikes me that what changes a mind (or a heart or a soul) is vastly different for each person. It can be a life change (having a child) an educational experience or simply a personal encounter with someone who defied your expectations. In all my moral reflections or those I've watched occur in another person, I think the common ground might be humility. Very rarely have I seen special interest groups or cleverly written signs change someone's heart, more often it's the experiences listed below (in the comments, maybe above when I post this) combined with a willingness to truly listen and be taught.
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    Wayne Upchurch

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    Jun 8 2011: Whenever I have experienced a clear intuition, what I had believed, up to then, was instantly known to be mere belief, whether that belief held true, or not. I have heard it said that we are entering an age of intuition; that, I Do believe.

  • Kimberly Wiltshire

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    Jun 8 2011: Reflecting over ones moral beliefs or any belief requires strength. It requires strength to entertain the idea of letting go of a belief or readjusting it. I think at times we identify ourselves too much with our beliefs. We use them as the source of who ME is. But, are my beliefs the essence of me really? If so then I would say we are then a direct product of our environment whether we like it or not. I began to let go of my stringent hold on my belief system when I moved abroad and everything was challenged. I soon decided to not believe in any one cause just because or with blind faith, rather to discern and reflect. Does this really suit me? Does this feel right to me? It is possible to believe without buying the whole package? Yes, I think so. It's not lacking faith it's being reflective and honest to yourself. Why do we insist on you either have to join this or join that. I can join neither completely and still have conviction. Personal reflective conviction. What I want to know however is, why people can't admit they are wrong or have done wrong. Especially when it is plain as day for everyone. I guess you would call it denial. But, how does their head work, do they see it? Do they not see it? Do they see it and then repress it? Is it a protective mechanism? And why do I, when obviously being lied to for no apparent reason, not point it out. Hey you are lying to me. What is it we are afraid of in these situations that we allow being lied to? And why do people lie about the most inane things? This reflection came at an import store. You don't sell flour because you don't want to. Don't give me a ten minute lecture about customs poking holes etc. I know you are lying you know you are lying, but to what purpose and why are you even compelled?

  • Jeff Peters

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    Jun 8 2011: For me it is, and has been for a long time, a conscious decision. The realization and acceptance that my behavior and actions always have an impact on others pretty much mandates that I reflect on what and how I operate in the world.

  • Bryan Guffey

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    Jun 8 2011: This recently happened to me. It was in relation to how I viewed my relationship with my younger fraternity brothers and the rules that governed us. What caused me to reflect was being in a different seat at a situation that I'd been in before and reflecting on it from a newer perspective. Furthermore, I suddenly had grown into a sense of responsibility surrounding these young men. This made my decisions much more powerful to me.
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