Why Confirmation Bias Keeps Us Stuck in One Place

The metaphorical hills we climb are often because of this

Image by Lee_seonghak from Pixabay

Confirmation Bias is the term used to describe the tendency to arrive at a decision or conclusion based on pre-conceived values and beliefs?

In doing so we

• We avoid seeking out new evidence and objective facts
• We interpret information to support our values and beliefs
• We only pay attention to and remember the details that support our beliefs

In one shape or another, we may all do this to simplify and support our view of the world. We tell ourselves stories to either hide our fears or pursue our desires.

So I imagine it will come as no surprise to read that sometimes it seems everywhere you turn, there are slight gradients and enormous hills to climb.

Because for most of us, we are conditioned to believe anything that requires change and is meaningful in life is hard. But is this confirmation bias or something else?

Is this an example of playing out the fears that limit us from achieving our goals? Or is the reality that if we are intent on moving forward, change is indeed hard, and we must decide which hard we want to face?