Belief Quote by Carol Tavris
“The scientific method is designed to help investigators overcome the most entrenched human cognitive habit: the confirmation bias, the tendency to notice and remember evidence that confirms our beliefs or decisions, and to ignore, dismiss, or forget evidence that is discrepant. That's why we are all inclined to stick to a hypothesis we believe in. Science is one way of forcing us, kicking and screaming if necessary, to modify our views.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Confidence Game by Maria Konnikova, 2020
Science uses systematic testing to counteract our natural tendency to favor confirming evidence over contradictory facts.
In simple terms: Science fights our habit of only seeing what we want.
Key Takeaway
Embrace evidence that challenges your beliefs.
Themes
critical thinking
science
cognitive bias
objectivity
Mood
inquisitive
analytical
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- research design
- policy making
- personal decision making
- media reporting
Key Concepts
confirmation bias
scientific method
epistemology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize when you’re favoring confirming evidence?
- What steps can you take to seek disconfirming data?
A Different Perspective
Science cannot eliminate bias entirely; interpretation still matters.
![“[W]e have an automatic tendency to pay attention to or seek out information that is in agreement with (confirms) our preconceptions, and to ignore, distort or avoid information that contradicts (disconfirms) our preconceptions, a tendency that is called the confirmation bias. The confirmation bias…” quote by Wadsworth Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0c2/wadsworth-publishing-194058_critical-thinking_w-e-have-an-automatic-tendency-to-pay-at_518612.jpg)
