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Confirmation Bias and The Peril of One-way Thinking

Antonio Segovia, MD.
7 min readDec 9, 2024

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How about this for a question:

Have you ever noticed that some people only read books, watch programs, or listen to podcasts created by leaders who share their ideology?

And anything mashed up in such flavors, that is!

It becomes an all too common habit which leads to polarization and distances us from the absolute truth.

The truth isn’t necessarily pure, and no one group or party has a monopoly on it. The truth is something we forge together.

If we close ourselves to different ideas, the result will not only be a limited worldview but, in addition to that, we will be reinforcing division.

In this article, I will explore how confirmation bias contributes to polarization and how one-sided thinking is harmful. I also show how embracing different perspectives can put us closer to the truth as it is. I will bring in thoughts from some of history’s greatest minds along the way.

What Is Confirmation Bias?

Confirmation bias is the mental shortcut we sometimes use to seek, remember, and cherish information that supports what we reasonably believe while ignoring or dismissing things that might…

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Antonio Segovia, MD.
Antonio Segovia, MD.

Written by Antonio Segovia, MD.

Physician. Media and Journalism specialist. Scientific disclosure. Medicine, Mental Health, Psychology, Inspiration, Philosophy, Culture, Poetry, Books, Sports.

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