Blog Archives
Confirmation Bias
The Misconception: Your opinions are the result of years of rational, objective analysis.
The Truth: Your opinions are the result of years of paying attention to information which confirmed what you believed while ignoring information which challenged your preconceived notions.
Have you ever had a conversation in which some old movie was mentioned, something like "The Golden Child" or maybe even something more obscure?
A wonderful exposition of the confirmation bias. "You want to be right about how you see the world, so you seek out information which confirms your beliefs and avoid contradictory evidence and opinions."
Indeed! Seek and ye shall find evidence for your preconceived notions, unless you understand and actively fight the confirmation bias in your own mind. The first step toward fighting back is realizing that it's not your fault. The confirmation bias is wiring built into your unconscious mind, but your conscious mind, now made aware of this normally subconscious flaw, needs to fight back!
