Do You Have Blinders On? | Confirmation Bias

  • Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Author:  Michelle " Mace" Curran

Short Description

Do You Have Blinders On? | Confirmation Bias is a term we’ve heard a lot over the last few years as science has become a debate topic and you hear qualified experts providing completely opposite interpretations on the same topic. But what role does it play in your life if you aren’t doing studies and […]

Do You Have Blinders On? | Confirmation Bias is a term we’ve heard a lot over the last few years as science has become a debate topic and you hear qualified experts providing completely opposite interpretations on the same topic. But what role does it play in your life if you aren’t doing studies and interpreting scientific data?

 

What is it?

 

The dictionary definition of confirmation bias is “the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs. This biased approach to decision making is largely unintentional and often results in ignoring inconsistent information.”

 

Michelle Mace Curran | Confirmation bias

How does it impact us?

 

Turns out this bias affects our lives and our decisions on a regular basis. How we consume news and social media are obvious examples. A less polarizing example is how we interpret other’s reactions to us. If you worry a lot about what people think and are self-conscious you may interpret the same situation very differently from someone who is confident.

 

Let’s say your normally friendly co-worker is a bit short with you at the office then doesn’t respond to a text later that evening. Person A who has many insecurities may conclude the coworker is mad at them or no longer wants to be friends. Person B who doesn’t have these insecurities may interpret this interaction as an indicator the coworker is stressed or extremely busy that day. The exact same interaction can change the relationship between these two people depending on how it is received.

 

Airborne, how we receive information and interpret it can make us very effective pilots or send us down a dangerous path. In situations where a lot of information is coming at you quickly our brains are primed to use confirmation bias as a mental shortcut to help us process things. In this fast-paced environment one of the most effective ways to improve performance is through preparation. However, we can prepare to a point that limits our flexibility to adapt and closes our mind to unexpected new information.

Do You Have Blinders On? | Confirmation Bias | Mace Curran

As a pilot check rides are a necessary evil. No one enjoys them, but we understand why they’re there. No matter how many you have done they are stressful. Personally, I would spend a ton of time preparing, chair flying…visualizing every part of the flight.

 

One checkride in particular, I took off, flew the departure, went out and did all the required items, and it was going great. I was prepared. I had rehearsed. Feeling good about how the flight was going, I returned to the airfield and started maneuvering to enter the pattern for the runway I had departed from. The controller said something about a point that was part of the pattern for the opposite runway. I assumed they must have misspoken. A few more things were said that didn’t quite make sense, but I ignored them. I had rehearsed this. I knew where to go and what to do.

 

Suddenly, my evaluator said calmly, “Mace, they switched runways.” It was like a lightbulb turned on. They had switched which runway they were landing on since we had taken off. It had been there right in front of me. So many radio calls that made it obvious, but I had rehearsed. I knew where to go. I had blinders on.

 

I was so prepared and so focused on the plan that I ignored all the evidence that the plan needed to change. Prepare, but don’t let that preparation blind you to evidence that the plan needs to change.

 

Confirmation bias

How can I prevent it?

 

In your day-to-day life do your research, form your opinions, but don’t let what you know to be true now keep you from new evidence that should cause you to reevaluate in the future. Our thoughts don’t always align with facts. Some questions we can ask to help ensure we aren’t headed down a rabbit hole thanks to our own biases are:

 

  • Do I have a vested interest in only seeing this one way?
  • Am I only surrounding myself with people or sources with one opinion?
  • Would I be willing to change my mind if someone presented proof that I was wrong?
  • What evidence are people on the other side basing their opinions on?
  • What source is the evidence I used to form my opinion coming from?

 

 

These are questions that can help us keep an open mind. Be willing to be proven wrong. Be excited to be proven wrong, because if you are you just learned something. I liken it to walking around with broccoli in my teeth. If I am, I want someone to tell me because I look foolish and don’t even know it. If there is evidence that shows I am wrong, I want to know because I look foolish and don’t even know it.

 

Article written by Michelle “MACE” Curran an Inspirational speaker

Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter

Author Profile

The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.

Similar to Do You Have Blinders On? | Confirmation Bias

WS Logo 512

As Covid has made it’s away around the globe it’s brought steep challenges and tremendous loss with it as It Is What It Is from Niki Seberini. Having said that, we must also acknowledge it’s gifted us with lessons in resilience, unconventional connections and a need to recalibrate both our internal and external compass. We […]

  • Author: Niki Seberini
Alison Canavan

When I first began studying nutrition in 2009 there was pretty much no mention of make your gut healthy. I TOOK THE DEEP DIVE INTO NUTRITION TO TRY AND HELP MY OWN HEALTH AND IN PARTICULAR MY MENTAL HEALTH. Since then a lot has changed and most of us now know that to maintain good […]

  • Author: Alison Canavan
Sean Moffitt

As we have seen ourselves Fast Forward over the last 30 years, massive disruption has hit the $4 trillion transportation industry. Detroit has shrunk into a tiny version of its former self. Air travel has continued to go through the constant boom and bust based on the economy and jet fuel prices, and has yet […]

  • Author: Sean Moffitt
Rob Caskie

Social media abounds with the hype and extraordinary news of Shackleton’s ship Endurance is patience concentrated being found in 3008 meters of water in the Weddell Sea, 107 years after it was smashed by ice in 1915. This discovery has deservedly grabbed global attention. “Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months […]

  • Author: Rob Caskie
FORGET COVID - Howard Saunders

THE RISE OF THE MINI TYRANTS, we all know the type. Dress a man in a hi-vis vest, armed with a clipboard and a biro, and you’ve just built yourself a mini tyrant. You’ve licensed a tiny authoritarian to impose the rules verbatim, as he sees fit, no matter the context or circumstances. It’s worrying […]

  • Author: Howard Saunders
WS Logo 512

Why is a 216-year-old voluntary member-based organisation like the Cape Chamber of Commerce thriving under lockdown? It shouldn’t – when times get tough, members will look at their expenses and cut those that are ‘voluntary’. People tend to pay their utilities, because if you don’t pay, you don’t get to play. And heaven forbid we […]

  • Author: Sid Peimer
WeSpeak Global logo

Businesses adopting a Working Remote workforce is a trend that has gained an increase of momentum this past year and for some, will continue to be reality for the foreseeable future. There are of course the obvious benefits for a remote team – no commutes for employees and lower overhead costs such as an office […]

  • Author: WeSpeak Global
WS Logo 512

In the traditional sales world, Engaging and Interactive Meeting, a professional salesperson would prepare for, and focus on, commanding the room, the conversation and the sales process, and you would be prepared to maximise the chances of success at whichever stage of the sale you are because that’s how you win deals for an Interactive […]

  • Author: Shelley Walters

Our Mission

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME