Beliefs Don’t Always Equal Reality

When humans learn new information that disproves a belief that they hold, two things are set into motion that are just the opposite of what we would hope.

First

Ideally, the part of the brain that processes reasoning would become highly active, but that's not the case.

Instead, the part of the brain that becomes highly active is the emotional center.

In other words, a human's first instinct on hearing information that disproves a firmly held belief is to become defensive and double down on their flawed belief.

Second

Humans fall prey to confirmation bias.

Confirmation bias is the tendency for humans to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.

For example, if you search for sources that support your belief on the internet, you will find them. This doesn't necessarily mean that your belief is correct; it simply means that others support the same belief… correct or incorrect.

Until you learn to think critically, know how to conduct unbiased research, and understand that everyone is susceptible to confirmation bias, you may be part of the problem.

Allow me to explain… Suppose you believe that wearing a mask will cause hypoxia (low oxygen in your blood). You're likely to Google something such as… "Does wearing a mask cause hypoxia?" Google will then present you with a list of sites containing the keywords you used to search. This will undoubtedly lead you to sites supporting the belief that masks cause hypoxia.

On the other hand, imagine implementing critical thinking, conducting unbiased research, and being open to the possibility that the belief you hold is incorrect. You might learn everything you can about hypoxia, how masks are made, what materials masks are made from, and how different things pass through the masks. Armed with this information, you can now make an informed decision based on the facts… not from data that simply supports your current belief.

I will listen to anyone who holds a belief based on science and is willing to be proven wrong... as I am. This is how humans move forward and better themselves. If you had never changed any of your beliefs when presented with new data, you might have ended up telling your date that you had to cut the evening short because you wanted to be in bed before Santa arrived.

Take a moment to think of beliefs that you used to have that are no longer valid.

I used to believe that I had to wait 30 minutes to swim after I ate. My parents were ardent proponents of this rule. I now know this "rule" was included in a Boy Scout handbook in 1908. Their handbook warned that if a human didn't wait at least 90 minutes before swimming, they might drown... and "it will be your own fault." No one seems to know where the Boy Scouts got this idea for their handbook. This is why I have the belief that it's okay to let a Boy Scout help you across the road but never take medical advice from them.

Every human should learn (and teach others) how to accept and analyze beliefs contrary to their own. If we can recognize and suspend our initial instinct to double down, we can then entertain the possibility that our belief may be wrong.

Your level of intelligence is determined in the space between learning a contrary belief and deciding to double down on what you currently believe or surrender to the possibility that you could be wrong.