The habit of reading books

 

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is our tendency to cherry-pick information that confirms our 
existing beliefs or ideas. 

And how do we form beliefs and ideas?
Many of them are imbibed in us since childhood, our background, reading, upbringing, surroundings.

Confirmation bias is somewhat linked to our memories. 

We have a fondness for recalling evidence that backs up our beliefs. 

As Leo Tolstoy wrote:

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he 
has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot 
be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that 
he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him.

Examples of confirmation bias are endless and are not just restricted to faith and religions. 

Take for example - Homeopathy
The multibillion-dollar homeopathy industry is an example of mass confirmation bias.
Homeopathy was invented by a French researcher studying histamines. 
He became convinced that as a solution of histamines was diluted, the effectiveness increased due to what he termed “water memories.” 
He was so certain of his hypothesis that he found data to confirm it and ignored

 that which did not. 

And the same thing applies for people using homeopathy. They will not read the
 research done by thousands of scientists all over the world to show that homeopathy is a fraud. 
They will read articles that support homeopathy and deny the fact 
that the medicine simply gives them a placebo effect.
Countries like India recognize an entire medical degree in Homeopathy. This just helps spread the confirmation bias.  

We would still be living in idiotic primeval times if no one was challenging the people in power who make decisions. 

Same applies on a personal level. If no one challenges our thought process then how does a person grow? How do we evolve? How do we come out of the bubbles of ideas that we are born and brainwashed into.
When we read/ listen/ discuss/ watch things that do not support our own beliefs
 is the time when we get a different perspective, and see the world through
 a new lens. 

And We all have confirmation biases. However small or big.

The complexity of confirmation bias arises partly from the fact that it is impossible to overcome it without an awareness of the concept.
 
If we talk about our beliefs then we need to think 
Do I just want to prove myself right in this conversation or Is it my confirmation 
bias that I need to work on?
The biggest confirmation bias I had was when it came to fitness and diet. 

I have seen my parents work out every day - doing yoga and going for walks. 

And so it was imbibed it in me unconsciously, that exercise is a part of our day

 like brushing our teeth and that those are the best forms of exercises.
 

My parents eat after every few hours, everything including sugar but in little quantities, And that is how I exercised and that is how I ate.

 

 If anyone said anything against it then I made sure to read more articles that supported my belief and sent them over to shut people up.
Why did I or anyone else does that?
 
because we would rather keep doing the same things that now have become a 
way of our life, they are convenient and are in our comfort zone.  Learning a 
new way means agreeing that what we and our parents and people around us did all their lives was wrong all along.And how can we let that happen? 
So we hold on to it even tighter when challenged. 

 
And then I happened to come across articles on intermittent diet, and how sugar is poison even if eaten in small quantity, and also about the importance of cardio, strength and HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. 

 

So the point is we all need to sit down for a second and ask ourselves... 
why do I follow/ believe what I believe and how can I get another perspective 
on the matter? 

And I truly feel that we will find multiple things about ourselves, exercise and diet is just one example I told you about me, I still have a number of 
them and I am working on it... 
And I am not ashamed to admit it.
I am not one of those who says ‘this is how I am’ 

I am not.

 I will keep on changing.
Because I feel Becoming is more important than just being... 
 being is stagnant, becoming is evolving and evolving is the ultimate success
 of any human being, society, company or country.

Or is it just my confirmation bias talking? 
Maybe I got to ponder over that too. 

Wink. ;-)