I've often wondered why people continue to hold onto opinions long after the facts have proved their opinions incorrect. This bothered me a lot as a teenager and if I'm being honest, still bothers me today.
I'm used to it. I expect it. But when somebody continues to believe falsehoods in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it feels like we've failed as a species.
Well, this article helps explain why people defend the indefensible. Rational thinking is useful, but we didn't evolve to be rational. That was a byproduct of problem solving.
We evolved as small bands of hunter gatherers. The reason humans have been so successful is that we evolved to **cooperate** with one another.
Therefore, being able to cooperate was much more important than being correct.
I myself have a bit of an obsession with facts and empirical evidence. Those are the cornerstones of knowledge, technological
and societal advancement, and individual achievement.
Sadly, we did not evolve in order to be smart---that was a bonus. We evolved merely to cooperate.
In fact, it feels good to assert how right you are even when all the evidence proves you're wrong.
So next time you're absolutely sure that you're right about something, take a step back and ask yourself:
'Do the facts support my opinion? Or is this merely an opinion that 'feels good' because it reinforces a worldview I developed through *cooperation* with my family, co-workers, peers, etc.?
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/27/why-facts-dont-change-our-minds
I'm used to it. I expect it. But when somebody continues to believe falsehoods in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it feels like we've failed as a species.
Well, this article helps explain why people defend the indefensible. Rational thinking is useful, but we didn't evolve to be rational. That was a byproduct of problem solving.
We evolved as small bands of hunter gatherers. The reason humans have been so successful is that we evolved to **cooperate** with one another.
Therefore, being able to cooperate was much more important than being correct.
I myself have a bit of an obsession with facts and empirical evidence. Those are the cornerstones of knowledge, technological
and societal advancement, and individual achievement.
Sadly, we did not evolve in order to be smart---that was a bonus. We evolved merely to cooperate.
In fact, it feels good to assert how right you are even when all the evidence proves you're wrong.
So next time you're absolutely sure that you're right about something, take a step back and ask yourself:
'Do the facts support my opinion? Or is this merely an opinion that 'feels good' because it reinforces a worldview I developed through *cooperation* with my family, co-workers, peers, etc.?
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/27/why-facts-dont-change-our-minds
