Chapter 2 of 10All chapters
Chapter 2 of 10
Biases about belief
How we handle evidence.
Confirmation bias
We seek, notice and remember evidence that fits what we already think, and hold contrary evidence to a higher standard. It is the most consequential bias in the list.
- It shapes what you search for as much as what you conclude.
- Writing down what would change your mind, in advance, is the only reliable counter.
Belief perseverance
Beliefs survive the removal of the evidence that created them. Corrections rarely undo a first impression, which is why the first version of a story dominates.