Cognitive bias
Confirmation Bias
Notice and remember evidence that confirms what you already believe, and overlook what doesn't.
Notice and remember evidence that confirms what you already believe, and overlook what doesn't.
Example
Convinced a certain diet works, someone tracks every good day on it and forgets the bad ones.
Confirmation bias isn’t dishonesty, it’s a filtering habit. Evidence that fits an existing belief gets noticed and remembered; evidence that doesn’t tends to get explained away or simply forgotten.
It’s strongest when the belief matters emotionally, which is exactly when clear thinking matters most.
The countermeasure is deliberately asking “what would change my mind” and then actually looking for that evidence, not just the evidence that supports the existing view.