Confirmation bias is our tendency to look for evidence that supports what we already believe. As we get older, we start to filter out information that runs counter to how we see the world.
One of the reasons “third rail” topics like gun control and religion are such polarizing issues is because opposing views are not only inharmonious to our own, but also perceived as threats.
But how much of your world philosophy is actually your own?
Much of what we believe, or think we do, is a result of parents, teachers, and media nudging us to think a certain way. Their reasoning, however earnest, is always rooted in personal motive:
— to maintain order
— to make money
— to dissuade nonconformist thinking
The problem is, we rarely question whether the viewpoints being pushed on us are congruent to our values.
By the time we reach high school, we’ve already pieced together the foundation for our world construct.
As someone who was raised Catholic, it wasn’t until literally years after college that many of my friends began to question whether the precepts of the faith they were born into were ones they subscribed to.
In my own journey, I’ve become much more comfortable asking questions rather than blindly accepting conventional ways of thought.
Here are 6 ways I’ve learned to cultivate my perfectly imperfect and constantly evolving world view.
1. Listen More than You Speak
“The only thing I know is that I know nothing.” — Socrates
Two phrases I think need to become less stigmatized are, “I’m afraid,” and “I don’t know.” The first is a sign of courage. The second, shows integrity.
We’re trained to believe the right candidate for a political office is the one who knows precisely what to do at any given time. Not being sure of what steps to take on an incredibly nuanced and complicated issues is actually considered a sign of weakness. We practically stone politicians when they “flip flop,” as if they don’t have the right to change their minds.
I think if a candidate actually got up and admitted he or she didn’t know the answer to something it would usher in a completely new flexibility in political discourse and thought. There would also be greater compassion for those trying to create change, but don’t always know the best way to do so.
I’ve discovered the only way to learn more is to speak less. When we really listen to someone we show a reverence for their soul. We also open up the possibility of being changed.
Hearing someone out implies a desire to listen with the intent to recognize a truth we didn’t know existed.
“It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure that ain't so.” — Mark Twain
For the past few months, I’ve been teaching a college course that uses theater as a tool to explore multicultural issues in America. To be honest, I was sort of thrown into the position, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of the experience.
I’ve also discovered just how little I know about subjects I thought I knew a thing or two about.
Each week, I frantically prep a lesson plan. I am forced to cover an extraordinary amount of information in a very short span of time. Issues like Civil Rights, The United Farm Workers Movement, and the 3 waves of the Feminist Movement could take years to properly understand.
But in my research, I always realize the issues I was somewhat versed in run much deeper. I discovered how I’ve blindly accepted ideologies based on the very limited information I know, which is not only irresponsible but dangerous.
For example, knowing that women have fought valiantly for equal rights since the mid-19th century crucial, but when you learn how for years they couldn’t serve on a jury, get an Ivy League education, or even get a credit card without the signature of their husband it really ups the stakes. The issues become 3-dimensional.
A deeper understanding of an issue also illuminates your ignorance and equips you with the tools to impact movements you care about.
3. Don’t Be Afraid of Being Disliked
“To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” — Aristotle
It’s in our wiring to connect with others. In fact, our very survival was once contingent upon our ability to get along. Anyone who didn’t conform to the values and rules of a tribe was exiled and as good as dead.
In many ways, that mentality exists today. Only it manifests itself in the fear of being ridiculed, isolated, or labeled.
But change is unsettling and the first ones through the gates always get the bloodiest.
After Socrates was convicted of corrupting the youth and failing to recognize the gods, he told a jury, “I am not going to alter my conduct, not even if I have to die a hundred deaths.”
To many, Socrates’s proclamation may have been seen as reckless. He did after all have several opportunities to avoid death, namely by repudiating his beliefs and refraining from public discourse.
Still, he refused.
It was far more important for Socrates to die with his ideals than to live in denial of them.
The tribunal consisted of 500 men. 220 decided Socrates was not guilty, while the other 280 felt differently.
By the way,the qualifications to serve on the jury in Athens around the year 399 BC were the following:
— being male
— having citizenship
Talk about a low bar.
But after his death many of the people recognized their mistake in convicting Socrates. In fact, not long after his death a statue was built in his honor.
The point he was trying to make is what’s popular is not always right. Sticking to your principles sometimes requires being disliked.
The alternative is to bend your values to those who ultimately have no regard for your right to think independently.
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