Critical thinking Quote by Wadsworth Publishing
![“[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)
““[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 serves to maintain and strengthen the beliefs that we already hold by causing us to automatically (that is, without being aware that we are doing so) perceive and remember experiences that confirm these beliefs, and to ignore or reinterpret those that disconfirm them. Because we tend to seek out only confirming evidence, our beliefs over time become so well confirmed in our minds that we come to think of them as “obviously true." In order to avoid the confirmation bias, we must force ourselves to look for evidence that disconfirms our beliefs.””
About This Quote
Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that aligns with existing beliefs while dismissing contradictory evidence, reinforcing perceived truths.
In simple terms: People favor info that matches their beliefs.
Key Takeaway
Seek out opposing evidence deliberately.
Themes
cognition
bias
critical thinking
self-awareness
Mood
skeptical
reflective
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- research
- debate
- personal reflection
- media consumption
Key Concepts
psychology
epistemology
decision making
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence challenges your core assumptions?
- How do you verify the reliability of your sources?
A Different Perspective
It can be hard to recognize one's own bias without external feedback.
![“Simply disabling specific critical thinking skills is all that is necessary for the god virus [to take control of a person].” quote by Darrel Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b75/darrel-ray-22623_critical_simply-disabling-specific-critical-think_30410.jpg)
