Hindsight: The Promise and Peril of Looking Backward

by Mark Freeman

Although the idea of hindsight is frequently associated with the biases, distortions, and outright lies of memory--as in the infamous "20-20" scenario or the conviction that one "knew it all along"--Mark Freeman maintains that this process of looking backward over the terrain of the past can also serve as a profound source of insight, understanding, and self-knowledge. Consider Tolstoy's harrowing tale of Ivan Ilych, revisiting his past on the eve of his death, only to realize that the life he had been living was a lie. Consider as well the many times in our own lives when, upon reviewing the past, we are able to see what we could not, or would not, see earlier on.

Hindsight is also intimately connected to what Freeman calls narrative Through the distance conferred by time, we can look back on past experiences and see them anew, as episodes in an evolving story. As important as "being in the now" and "living in the moment" are, it is no less important to pause at times and, by looking backward, seek to discern those aspects of experience that might otherwise escape our notice. Far from necessarily leading to deception and lies, therefore, hindsight can lead to wisdom and indeed truth--of a sort, Freeman contends, that is only available in retrospect.

In addition to serving as a central site of self-knowledge, hindsight plays an integral role in the process of moral growth. For, through hindsight, there emerges the opportunity not only to see the possible errors of our ways but to transcend them and thereby to move on to better ways of being in the world. Drawing on psychology, philosophy, literature, and personal experience, this wide-ranging volume offers an insightful and engaging exploration of the role of hindsight both in discerning the personal past and in deepening moral life.

Genres: Philosophy

247 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It covers hindsight from a perspective on how it might provide insight into different areas of life through a narrative reflection and other more qualitative ways than from the perspective of a hindsight/retrospective bias.

[Diana Raab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a longtime admirer of Mark Freeman's work, and even though this is not his most recent book (which was The Priority of the Other, next on my reading list), Hindsight is one that I just reread while working on my own next book, Writing for Bliss. I thought that as Father's Day approaches, the month of June would be the perfect time for me to review Hindsight, because in this work, Freeman references his father. Freeman lost his dad when he was 20, and in his writing, he often refers to their sometimes turbulent relationship. However, he goes deeper than that--closely examining the ups and downs of their interactions.

In Hindsight, Freeman contends that looking back on our lives and our relationships can serve as a source of insight and understanding. He also relates this concept to his coined term, narrative reflection, which is an important part of what I write a lot about myself--that is memoir. Freeman says that hindsight can lead to moral growth, which is akin to what I call transformation.

Those of us who lost our fathers many years ago often become reflective during this time of year. As such, when thinking about his father, Freeman says, "I feel the presence of his absence," a poignant way to say that he truly misses his dad. I can say the same about my own father, especially when I look around and see my children growing, thriving, and beginning to start families of their own.

This is a book you may not be able to put down! Freeman's warm, authentic voice--which weaves personal experience with psychology, philosophy, and literature--makes you feel as if you're entertaining him in your living room, having a lively discussion about hindsight. Highly recommended!

[Adil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elegantly written (apart from the fact that it includes too many quotes and is a tad more wordy than I'm used to), this book significantly influenced my perspective on hindsight. Previously, it was associated with bias (due to the well-known "hindsight bias" in the field of my expertise) in my mind. After reading this book, I think of hindsight as not necessarily leading to bias and indeed, an indispensable aspect of being (and realizing one's full potential as) human. Both the promises and perils of hindsight are discussed in great detail, building on examples such as Tolstoy's Ivan Ilyich and Primo Levi's concentration camp experience. As a social psychologist, it provided me a fresh break from the short time window within which we study human behavior. Highly recommended to anyone interested--whether from a humanities/literary or psychological science perspective--in autobiographical memory, narrative, self and identity, and writing a memoir.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freeman's book offers an interesting perspective about the personal narrative. The only issue I have with his writing is his use of a Holocaust survivor as an example of the potential detriment to past reflection. He did not think of the survivor as a person with PTS nor offer the often common felt reaction of survivor's guilt. The Holocaust survivor's story was used simply as a sensationalized example to back up a theory. I don't think this was the correct paradigm to posit his opinion along with two other artistic individuals who volunteer his and her introspection of their pasts. This is where he lost me, but I trudged through it to the last two chapters which in my opinion offer the most insight. Hindsight is a gift we as humans take for granted.

[Jane Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting discussion of how meaning only becomes clear in retrospect