confirmation bias

Our own minds can lead us astray; we humans are subject to numerous logical fallacies, the most common of which is “confirmation bias” in which we tend to seek out or only believe sources that agree with our pre-existing belief system or subject conflicting evidence to much more rigorous standards of proof. We also are inclined to see patterns where none exist, blindly engage in group think, prefer stories to statistics, and be totally unaware of how our cultural backgrounds radically tilt our world view. The more you travel the globe, the more you realize how many different ways there are to perceive reality.

Our proclivity to live in denial about the extent of our mind’s frames, the way we interpret what happens to us, the stories we choose to tell ourselves about the events that happen to us all leave us less able to deal effectively with a rapidly changing world. A healthy skepticism, a willingness to step outside ourselves, a passion of developing our self -awareness: all these are powerful tools that will serve us well to acquire and hone.

Closing Quotes:

“If a problem can’t be solved within the frame it was conceived, the solution lies in reframing the problem.” – Brian McGreevy

“It is difficult to see the picture when you are inside the frame.” – Unk.

“He who frames the question wins the debate.” – Randall Terry

“How little do they see what really is, who frame their hasty judgment upon that which seems.” – Daniel Webster

“Get into the habit of imagining an alternate scenario. By posing such ‘imagine if’ questions we can distance ourselves from the frames, cues, anchors and rhetoric that might be affecting us.” Noreena Hertz

As always, I share what I most want/need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier