I’m right. You’re wrong. Any questions?
Posted April 15, 2010 - 5:33pm by Jim
Things are never quite what they seem. We want to believe that what happens is exactly how we reason it. But this is almost never the case, and many a ruined friendship has sunk in these shoals.
Our assumption is that we view the world objectively, without bias. In reality, everything we see and think about comes through an interpretive filter constructed out of our past experience, assumptions and conclusions. This is how we explain the world around us. Explanation provides control and control, safety.
Your friend leaves your house, slamming the door behind him. Your brain kicks into gear searching for a reason why. He must be angry. You think about why and grab an explanation. You don’t consider how your perspective is inadequate or flawed. You simply react on what you know, as if that is all there is to know. It seems obvious to you.
