When you find yourself in the realm of disagreement, where reasonable people have different views of what is "right," it is important to survey your feelings toward the issue in question. Specifically, you should ask yourself what you want to be true or right in this instance.
To be clear, as we have discussed in previous blogs, whether or not you want something to be right or true has absolutely nothing to do with the actual truth or "rightness" of that thing. For instance, you may not like the fact that, at one atmosphere of pressure, water freezes when the temperature drops to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But, in spite of your preference, when you put a cup of water at one atmosphere of pressure and 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it's going to freeze.
Your personal preferences or likes cannot make something actually true or right, but they can deceive you into misinterpreting the data. According to brittanica.com, confirmation bias is "the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs." Psychology Today states that confirmation bias "leads the individual to stop gathering information when the evidence gathered so far confirms the views (prejudices) one would like to be true." So, when you find yourself in the realm of disagreement, and are trying to reason your way to what is "right," it is important to understand your bias. With this understanding, you may be able to recognize your personal confirmation bias and to be more objective in reaching your conclusion.
To be clear, as we have discussed in previous blogs, whether or not you want something to be right or true has absolutely nothing to do with the actual truth or "rightness" of that thing. For instance, you may not like the fact that, at one atmosphere of pressure, water freezes when the temperature drops to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But, in spite of your preference, when you put a cup of water at one atmosphere of pressure and 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it's going to freeze.
Your personal preferences or likes cannot make something actually true or right, but they can deceive you into misinterpreting the data. According to brittanica.com, confirmation bias is "the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs." Psychology Today states that confirmation bias "leads the individual to stop gathering information when the evidence gathered so far confirms the views (prejudices) one would like to be true." So, when you find yourself in the realm of disagreement, and are trying to reason your way to what is "right," it is important to understand your bias. With this understanding, you may be able to recognize your personal confirmation bias and to be more objective in reaching your conclusion.
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