Today, we are going to be covering confirmation bias – I know this sounds like one of those concepts you probably think you “get” and that it might not be necessary to listen to…but believe it or not, that is actually your confirmation bias talking. This episode will help everyone understand just how much confirmation bias is impacting your life and business. I will give examples and tips throughout the episode.
In its most basic form, confirmation bias comes down to the brain’s desire to be correct and the subconscious filter deciding what gets through and stored…and what gets ignored. Because the subconscious is working from established, proven rules to make these choices, it is looking for stuff that fits those existing rules.
While the brain can look and find things that disagree with its perspective, that isn’t the natural tendency. The easiest thing to do – the most satisfying thing – is to look for items that confirm what you believe. That makes you feel safe. This is why two people can witness the same event and have completely different interpretations of what happened. You are seeking out different information and retaining different pieces to suit your brain’s needs. Some of these are ingrained in us genetically over thousands of years, but many of them are built over our lifetime.
Confirmation bias doesn’t have to be a bad thing and it can very much work to your advantage in life and business. The flip side of the confirmation bias coin is knowing that your brain naturally does four things and so if you are selective about your goals and what you want to change in your life, you can set up your brain’s natural tendencies to align with them.
