--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We tend to accept information that…" description: "\"We tend to accept information that confirms our prior beliefs and ignore or discredit information that does not. This confirmation bias settles over ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/kyle-hill-13681_bias_we-tend-to-accept-information-that-confi_175060.jpg" --- # We tend to accept information that confirms our prior… ![“We tend to accept information that confirms our prior beliefs and ignore or discredit information that does not. This confirmation bias settles over our eyes like distorting spectacles for everything we look at.” quote by Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/kyle-hill-13681_bias_we-tend-to-accept-information-that-confi_175060.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/kyle-hill-13681_bias_we-tend-to-accept-information-that-confi_175060.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a0/kyle-hill-13681_bias_we-tend-to-accept-information-that-confi_175060.jpg) > “We tend to accept information that confirms our prior beliefs and ignore or discredit information that does not. This confirmation bias settles over our eyes like distorting spectacles for everything we look at.” [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People favor evidence that supports their existing views and dismiss opposing data, creating a distorted perception of reality. **In simple terms:** We see what we want to see, ignoring contrary facts. Key Takeaway Seek diverse perspectives to challenge your assumptions. Themes cognitive bias perception critical thinking Mood reflective cautious Type cognitive psychological When to use this quote - media consumption - political debate - personal relationships - scientific research Key Concepts confirmation bias self‑serving bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify information that contradicts your beliefs? - What steps can you take to broaden your viewpoint? A Different Perspective Bias can reinforce echo chambers and hinder learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beliefs Ignore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs-ignore-1885907/) [Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) [Confirmation Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confirmation-bias-698107/) [Discredit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discredit/) [Discredit Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discredit-information-1885906/) [Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Ignore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignore/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/) ## Related quotes > [“Confirmation bias is the most effective way to go on living a lie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/confirmation-bias-is-the-most-effective-way-to-go-on-living-a-lie/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Ever since I learnt about confirmation bias I've started seeing it everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/ever-since-i-learnt-about-confirmation-bias-i-ve-started-seeing-it/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-detweiler/what-is-the-danger-in-the-personalization-era-psychologists-call-it/) [Craig Detweiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-detweiler/) > [“In fact ever since I first learned about confirmation bias I’ve been seeing it everywhere. Everywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/in-fact-ever-since-i-first-learned-about-confirmation-bias-i-ve-been/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [“If you are thinking about buying a particular make of new car, you suddenly see people driving that car all over the roads. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/if-you-are-thinking-about-buying-a-particular-make-of-new-car-you/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“The real trouble begins when confirmation bias distorts your active pursuit of facts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/the-real-trouble-begins-when-confirmation-bias-distorts-your-active/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“With enough mental gymnastics, just about any fact can become misshapen in favor to one's confirmation bias.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/with-enough-mental-gymnastics-just-about-any-fact-can-become/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Confirmation bias is the tendency to see things in your environment that confirm your preconceived ideas and not see things that conflict with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/confirmation-bias-is-the-tendency-to-see-things-in-your-environment/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [Between hindsight bias, fake causality, positive bias, anchoring/priming, et cetera et cetera, and above all the dreaded confirmation bias, once an idea gets into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/between-hindsight-bias-fake-causality-positive-bias-anchoring-priming/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“The last major risk to getting good facts is our own prejudices. While we may not always test a solution based on our opinions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-greene/the-last-major-risk-to-getting-good-facts-is-our-own-prejudices-while/) [Nat Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-greene/) > [The scientific method is designed to help investigators overcome the most entrenched human cognitive habit: the confirmation bias, the tendency to notice and remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris/the-scientific-method-is-designed-to-help-investigators-overcome-the/) [Carol Tavris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris/) > [“The confirmation bias is alive and well in the business world. One example: An executive team decides on a new strategy. The team enthusiastically”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-dobelli/the-confirmation-bias-is-alive-and-well-in-the-business-world-one/) [Rolf Dobelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-dobelli/) > [“Because it’s very easy to fall victim to confirmation bias, try focusing only on data that invalidates your hypothesis before looking for data that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/product-school/because-it-s-very-easy-to-fall-victim-to-confirmation-bias-try/) [Product School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/product-school/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris-elliot-aronson/dissonance-theory-also-exploded-the-self-flattering-idea-that-we/) [Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris-elliot-aronson/) > [“One rule of thumb is to keep searching for options until you fall in love at least twice. If you’ve only identified one good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/one-rule-of-thumb-is-to-keep-searching-for-options-until-you-fall-in/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) ## More by Kyle Hill > [Picking apart a story for its scientific underpinnings doesn't diminish it, it enhances it, makes us dream of the possibilities it proposes. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/picking-apart-a-story-for-its-scientific-underpinnings-doesn-t/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [Why would you envy a man who doesn't know the names of all the planets, is a 'high functioning' sociopath, and has no friends?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/why-would-you-envy-a-man-who-doesn-t-know-the-names-of-all-the/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [People are misers of mental effort. If we don't have the interest or the capacity to look into the arguments, if the message isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/people-are-misers-of-mental-effort-if-we-don-t-have-the-interest-or/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [The recipe for a human doesn't fill up a shopping list as you may suspect. Just twenty-two elements can describe almost all of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/the-recipe-for-a-human-doesn-t-fill-up-a-shopping-list-as-you-may/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [A rainbow is the product of physics working for your appreciation of beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/a-rainbow-is-the-product-of-physics-working-for-your-appreciation-of/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [You can do yoga all day, you can run or bike or swim, but a pull-up will still be hard. 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Looking at any one of these roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/what-is-basically-just-an-iq-score-has-roots-in-education/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [Cancer is real-time evolution, and your body is the selective pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/cancer-is-real-time-evolution-and-your-body-is-the-selective-pressure/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [When the first episode of 'Mythbusters' aired in 2003, I couldn't drive a car. I couldn't see a R-rated movie. I was 14 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/when-the-first-episode-of-mythbusters-aired-in-2003-i-couldn-t-drive/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [Human atoms are the notes, their life the symphony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/human-atoms-are-the-notes-their-life-the-symphony/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [Galileos still exist in science. Sometimes a lone proponent of a new idea turns out to be right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/galileos-still-exist-in-science-sometimes-a-lone-proponent-of-a-new/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [The story of Noah is self-contradictory, uncorroborated by independent historical evidence, and is generally at odds with everything we know about our planet's geology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/the-story-of-noah-is-self-contradictory-uncorroborated-by-independent/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [Raised on Bill Nye videos, LEGOs, and CD-ROMs of dinosaurs, I was a lump of nerdy clay waiting to be molded. 'Mythbusters' came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/raised-on-bill-nye-videos-legos-and-cd-roms-of-dinosaurs-i-was-a-lump/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) > [Given the weight of an Oscar statuette, one made out of solid gold would be worth $219,000. That twinkle in a winner's eye would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-hill/given-the-weight-of-an-oscar-statuette-one-made-out-of-solid-gold/) [Kyle Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) [Explore all 49 Kyle Hill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-hill/) ## More Bias quotes > [The print is devised so that I can cut the dresses on the bias, so they work around the body. It's not like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-galliano/the-print-is-devised-so-that-i-can-cut-the-dresses-on-the-bias-so/) [John Galliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-galliano/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > ["Natural" is a very dangerous word to use about sexuality ... Our society's notions of normality are completely fake and meta-trendy, since they rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-bright/natural-is-a-very-dangerous-word-to-use-about-sexuality-our-society-s/) [Susie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-bright/) > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. It makes its own limited models of things; operating upon these indices or variables to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/science-manipulates-things-and-gives-up-living-in-them-it-makes-its/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/fortunately-for-serious-minds-a-bias-recognized-is-a-bias-sterilized/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [I can say this very clearly: I have come into this Congress with an antiwar bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-frankel/i-can-say-this-very-clearly-i-have-come-into-this-congress-with-an/) [Lois Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-frankel/) > [The legal bias for special protection for women has begun to wreak havoc with the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/the-legal-bias-for-special-protection-for-women-has-begun-to-wreak/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [That's awesome. There's no bias in the media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-edwards/that-s-awesome-there-s-no-bias-in-the-media/) [Carl Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-edwards/) > [“The most disgusting human trait is bias, because it typically leads to propaganda, hate and violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lifsey/the-most-disgusting-human-trait-is-bias-because-it-typically-leads-to/) [Lori Lifsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lifsey/) > [I'm speaking out against social media bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-loomer/i-m-speaking-out-against-social-media-bias/) [Laura Loomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-loomer/) > [“I pick up a copy of Newsweek on the plane and immediately notice how biased, slanted, and opinionated all the U.S. newsmagazine articles are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-pick-up-a-copy-of-newsweek-on-the-plane-and-immediately-notice-how/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“Hundreds of studies confirm that human forecasts are flawed and biased. 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