Most people love the comforting feeling that they are right. Why is that so dangerous right now?
Jay Gordon Cone: Everyone likes to be right, but the fact is, we find it much easier to notice and accept things that are consistent with our underlying beliefs than things that aren’t. Seeking this out is understandable in our increasingly polarized world, because we crave the comfort of having our worldview reinforced and embraced. The danger comes when we overlook evidence that we might not have all the facts, or we might just be plain wrong. ‘Confirmation bias’ makes us susceptible to overly simplistic answers and vulnerable to people who are just telling us what we want to hear.
In general, people who hold prejudices view the differences between people as threatening. What is the best way to shift this mindset?
It’s difficult to see someone as threatening once you discover that you have things in common with them. In my work I’ve spent a lot of time with groups that need to work together, focusing on building
