Dissonance Quote by Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson
““Dissonance theory also exploded the self-flattering idea that we humans, being Homo sapiens, process information logically. On the contrary: If the new information is consonant with our beliefs, we think it is well founded and useful: "Just what I always said!" But if the new information is dissonant, then we consider it biased or foolish: "What a dumb argument" So powerful is the need for consonance that when people are forced to look at disconfirming evidence, they will find a way to criticize, distort, or dismiss it so chat they can maintain or even strengthen their existing belief. This mental contortion is called the "confirmation bias””
About This Quote
Source Book: “Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)”, 2007
People favor information that matches their beliefs and dismiss contradictory evidence, reinforcing existing views.
In simple terms: We accept confirming info, reject opposing info.
Key Takeaway
Seek out challenging perspectives.
Themes
cognition
bias
psychology
Mood
skeptical
reflective
Type
analytical
educational
When to use this quote
- debates
- research reviews
- critical thinking workshops
- media consumption
Key Concepts
confirmation bias
belief perseverance
information processing
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence would change your mind on a strong belief?
- How do you test the validity of opposing arguments?
A Different Perspective
Confirmation bias can lead to echo chambers and poor decision‑making.
![“[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)
![“What is the danger in the personalization era? Psychologists call it confirmation bias—“a tendency to believe things that reinforce our existing views, to see what we want to see.”[53] What happens when we encounter new information that contradicts our beliefs? Researchers at Stanford monitored…” quote by Craig Detweiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/692/craig-detweiler-19935_cognitive-dissonance_what-is-the-danger-in-the-personalizatio_1556072.jpg)
