#72 Old beliefs die hard

Old beliefs die hard

Do you know anyone who – despite being presented with strong evidence – continues to hold false beliefs about climate change, vaccinations, or other issues?

Belief perseverance describes the tendency to cling tightly to initial conclusions and resist changing our minds, even when faced with contradictory evidence. 

We do this for a few reasons, including:

·       Cognitive dissonance – we feel uncomfortable encountering contradictory information, so we dismiss it to avoid discomfort

·       Confirmation bias – we direct our attention towards confirming information and ignore disconfirming evidence

• Ego defense mechanisms – recognizing a belief as incorrect may feel like a failure, so we reject opposing evidence to protect self-esteem

While addressing belief perseverance is difficult, the following techniques may help:

1.      Approach the conversation with curiosity, without judgement

2.      Ask open-ended questions to uncover why the belief is held

3.      Gently ask questions like "what would it take for you to reconsider this belief?" to foster self-reflection.