Today I want to share with you this interesting article that I read in the Journal of the Strategic Culture Foundation about the problem of "confirmation bias".

The more people there are who ignore facts that contradict their beliefs, the likelier a dictatorship will emerge within a given country. - Extract from the original publication

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Confirmation bias, also called confirmatory bias or myside bias, is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses ... People display this bias when they gather or remember information selectively, or when they interpret it in a biased way. The effect is stronger for emotionally charged issues and for deeply entrenched beliefs. - Wikipedia

A current problem in our western society? ... Although it seems to me that it is intrinsic in all human beings. Some can avoid it, others do not, but it happens in all kinds of societies and social classes or at least I have been able to observe it that way.

I personally experience it in my country, Cuba. That's why I ended up going to Germany. I could not ignore what was evident, could not deceive me that way, for me that was and is unthinkable.

But when I came to Germany and I could observe in detail what was happening in the World, I realized that the same thing happen everywhere. I realized that it was impossible to avoid. That's why I also agree with the author of the article, Eric Zuesse, with what he says in one part.

People who insist upon deceiving themselves disgust me. Anyone who blocks out the key relevant facts and persists in believing the lies they were raised with, or became fooled into believing, doesn’t harm only themselves by the lies they believe ... - Extract from the original publication

They hurt others too. He says it in other words but in summary is that. Such people not only harm themselves with their actions but those around them.

... People who refuse to question their own beliefs, become increasingly putrid pools of their own false beliefs, which have been created and nurtured and sustained and become larger and larger pools of lies, by constant repetition from the media and lobbyists of the rich and powerful, so as to enable the exploiters to enslave the masses, via those constantly repeated and embellished lies. - Extract from the original publication

This last sure sound familiar enough for many? Well, I do not say anymore and I leave you the link to the original article. I hope that many find it as interesting as I did.

People Ignore Facts That Contradict Their False Beliefs

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Pd: By the way, I recommend reading the articles of Eric Zuesse in general, especially the one that talks about Liberalism. That was the article that led him to write this other.

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