Faith Quote by Robert Carroll
““Psychologists call this natural tendency to be selective in both our memory and our perception confirmation bias. People with strong convictions often take confirmation bias to a level known as motivated reasoning. The more evidence one presents against their belief, the more motivated they become to refute the evidence and defend their conviction.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, 2020
People favor information confirming existing beliefs, often dismissing contradictory evidence, leading to motivated reasoning.
In simple terms: We see what we want to see.
Key Takeaway
Question your assumptions.
Themes
cognition
belief
bias
Mood
inquisitive
cautious
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- research
- debate
- media consumption
Key Concepts
confirmation bias
motivated reasoning
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you identify when you’re filtering evidence?
- What steps help you evaluate opposing views?
A Different Perspective
Bias can reinforce misinformation and polarize discourse.
![“[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)
