Accepted Quote by Thomas Gilovich
“When examining evidence relevant to a given belief, people are inclined to see what they expect to see, and conclude what they expect to conclude. Information that is consistent with our pre-existing beliefs is often accepted at face value, whereas evidence that contradicts them is critically scrutinized and discounted. Our beliefs may thus be less responsive than they should to the implications of new information”
About This Quote
Source Book: How We Know What Isn't So by Thomas Gilovich, 2010
People favor evidence that confirms existing beliefs and discount contradictory information.
In simple terms: Biases shape how we interpret data.
Key Takeaway
Challenge your assumptions with opposing evidence.
Themes
cognitive bias
confirmation bias
critical thinking
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- research
- decision making
- media consumption
- education
- political debate
Key Concepts
motivational bias
belief perseverance
information processing
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence have you ignored?
- How can you test your assumptions?
A Different Perspective
Overcoming bias requires effort and openness to discomfort.
![“[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)
![“We have reached a situation where a theory has been accepted as fact by some, and possible contrary evidence is shunted aside. [This is] mythology rather than science.” quote by Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c31/robert-shapiro-26969_accepted_we-have-reached-a-situation-where-a-theo_19120.jpg)
