🧠 Confirmation Bias: Seeing What We Want to See 🧠
We all carry biases in life. It's helpful to know what they are. But today we'll focus on confirmation bias, one of the most commonn logical fallacies.
Definition:"the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories"
It happens when we focus on information that supports our existing beliefs while ignoring or discounting evidence that challenges them. We also take neutral input as something favoring 'our' side.
**We give special weight to information that allows us to come to the conclusion that we want to reach**
This mental shortcut feels comfortable but can lead to distorted thinking, poor decisions, and missed opportunities for growth.
✨ What It Looks Like in Real Life
- 📰 News Consumption: Only reading articles or following social media accounts that agree with your views or discounting opposing/differing views.
- 💬 Conversations: Seeking out people who validate your opinions while avoiding those who disagree.
- 🔍 Decision Making: Interpreting neutral evidence as proof you were “right all along.”
Why Confirmation Bias Happens
- We dislike cognitive dissonance—holding beliefs that are challenged causes discomfort, so we avoid it.
- Beliefs feel more certain because we’ve already invested trust or identity in them. Letting them go feels like loss. (Remember the sunk cost fallacy from earlier? This definitely plays into this!)
- We often have selective exposure: we choose what to read, who to listen to, what to trust—allowing bias to reinforce itself.--the bubble effect/echo chamber effect is real here.
🎯 Why It Matters
When we only see what confirms our beliefs, we risk reinforcing biases, polarizing relationships, and making errors in judgment. Studies show that confirmation bias can strengthen false beliefs over time, making it harder to change our minds.
🌱 How to Break Free from Confirmation Bias
1️⃣ Actively Seek Opposing Views: Read or listen to perspectives different from your own.
ALL change begins with being honest! 1--be aware of the biases you may have and 2--be OPEN to being proven wrong (intellectual humility is a flex! Use it!)
2️⃣ Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of asking, “Why am I right?” ask, “What am I missing?” "Can I learn something here?"
3️⃣ Pause Before Reacting: Take a moment to consider how your feelings may be shaping your interpretation.
4️⃣ Use Evidence, Not Emotion: Weigh information based on its quality, not whether it feels comfortable.
5️⃣ Invite Constructive Feedback: Encourage trusted people to challenge your assumptions respectfully.
💡 Takeaway
Awareness is the first step. By challenging confirmation bias, we become more open-minded, make better decisions, and build healthier, more authentic connections with others. :)
An article on it:Confirmation Bias - The Decision Lab
The Video is Confirmation Bias as it applies to Sales!
Infographic is for easy use in the future :)
👉Question to ponder: Have you noticed confirmation bias in your own thinking? What helped you step outside of it?
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🧠 Confirmation Bias: Seeing What We Want to See 🧠
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