Confirmation Bias, Keeping Your existing beliefs.

No one respects a differing belief or opinion.

As I look and see what there is to be seen, I’m astonished with the division that is, and has always been, taking place in society. No matter what truth is being told or untold, what belief or opinion is being placed in the forefront, no one respects a differing belief or opinion.

It is this calculated and guided division that is annihilating our Nation. The concept of "divide and conquer," a Latin phrase, "divide et impera" (divide and rule.) This is the origin of the English phrase, which first appeared around 1600. It's used to describe a strategy of breaking a group into smaller, more manageable parts to weaken their overall strength. This strategy has been attributed to most leaders and used in both politics and warfare.

Within the comfort of this division, humanity has entered a state of mental inflexibility. They are unwilling to consider new ideas, perspectives, or information that challenge their existing beliefs or opinions. They have closed their minds, become unwilling to depart from their group and have found a false comfort by living with confirmation bias.

Confirmation bias is a perception that only favors information confirming existing beliefs. In essence, this bias only interprets information that supports pre-existing views. They avoid contradictory evidence even if weak, flawed or untrue.

Confirmation bias is a non-turbulent way individuals’ reason with the world due to their subjective perception of reality. These biases are predictable patterns in how the human brain functions and therefore are widespread. This affects how people understand and even perceive reality.

People may be overconfident in their beliefs because they have accumulated evidence to support them. They have overlooked or ignored a great deal of confirmation disproving their beliefs. Often this evidence, which if had been considered, could lead them to question their beliefs.

Confirmation biases are not random errors and follow identifiable patterns. They can make people more susceptible to believing and spreading misinformation that supports their existing views. It can also contribute to the formation and reinforcement of stereotypes, leading to prejudice and discrimination.

Confirmation bias fuels political polarization. People on different sides of political debates often consume news and information that confirms their existing political views. This is making them less likely to consider or accept opposing perspectives. This is the plague playing a significant role in many of the challenges society is facing today.

Confirmation biases stem from how the brain is wired to process information efficiently. Then, there is information overload. The brain is constantly bombarded with information. This bias helps to quickly filter and prioritize attention and helps to simplify complex decisions and conserve mental energy.

In the 1960s, cognitive psychologist Peter Wason conducted several experiments known as Wason's Rule Discovery Task. He demonstrated that people tend to seek information that confirms their existing beliefs. The test proved that most people do not try to test their ideas and beliefs critically but rather only to confirm them.

There are often signs that a person is inadvertently falling victim to confirmation bias. Unfortunately, it is now commonly overlooked, but with an open mind, still easy to observe. Such as when someone is only seeking out evidence that confirms their beliefs and ignoring or discrediting information that doesn't support them. They selectively remember information that supports their views while forgetting or discounting information that doesn't. They also have a strong emotional reaction to information that confirms their beliefs and can become confrontational with information that does not.

A common example of confirmation bias disciples is how they interpret news stories. They are more than likely to believe a story if it confirms their pre-existing views, even if the evidence presented is inconclusive.

The confirmation bias happens due to the natural way the brain works, so eliminating it is impossible. While it is often discussed as a negative tendency, it isn't always bad. It can significantly impact our lives, both positively and negatively. On the positive side, it can help us stay confident in our beliefs and values and give us a sense of certainty and security. Unfortunately, this type of bias can prevent us from looking at situations objectively. It can also influence our decisions and lead to poor choices.

Confirmation bias has important implications in the real world of medicine, law and interpersonal relationships. Research has shown that medical doctors are just as likely to have biases just as everyone else. Doctors often have a preliminary hunch regarding the diagnosis of a medical condition early in the treatment process. This hunch can interfere with the doctor’s ability to assess information that may indicate an alternative diagnosis.

Within the structure of law, judges and jurors sometimes form an opinion about a defendant’s guilt or innocence before all of the evidence is known. Once a judge or juror forms an opinion, confirmation bias will interfere with their ability to process new information that emerges during a trial, which may lead to unjust verdicts.

In personal relationships, confirmation bias can be problematic because it may lead a person to form inaccurate and biased impressions of others.

Philosophical perspectives on confirmation bias are generally a negative distortion to acknowledging. Some philosophers see it as a pervasive and built-in feature of the mind. One that hinders objective information processing, impairs rational judgment and makes individuals less able to understand assorted viewpoints. People become unreasonably confident in their beliefs based on selectively gathered or favored evidence.

Philosophers also argue about the functional aspects of confirmation bias. Some note that it can be useful in constructing persuasive arguments and engaging in effective social interaction. They suggest it might help individuals maintain a sense of self and build confidence in their beliefs. Others note that it is a prevalent tendency found in various contexts and is not necessarily linked to intelligence or reasoning ability.

Strategies exist to mitigate confirmation bias, though it is impossible to eliminate it entirely. To acknowledge these biases, you must seek diverse perspectives and challenge assumptions. You must develop critical thinking skills that evaluate information objectively. When this is found, intellectually embrace humility and open yourself to changing beliefs based on the new evidence.

Simplistically, what is needed and is what defines the concept of balance. Left alone balance will hold true to natural harmony. Most humans seem to be the exception and are excluded from being balanced. They must constantly restore their stability and produce their own equilibrium.

By adopting a few choices and strategies to change behaviors when who you are falls short, is all that is needed to realign yourself. Create a balance, which will often restore the illumination of what’s unbalanced.

Place your thoughts, your desires and how you conduct who you are in front of you and look hard. See where the imbalance is. You must also allow what lies deep inside of you, what fills you with the concept of extraordinarily satisfied. Now with choice, accept what you find and stay true to your balance. - dbA

You can find more of the unfiltered insight and the Art of Dan Abernathy at www.contributechaos.com.