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“Faced with a choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy with the proof.” - J.K. Galbraith
Truth and accuracy are not the only things that matter to the human mind.
Humans also seem to have a deep desire to belong.
False beliefs can be useful in a social sense even if they are not useful in a factual sense.
When we have to choose between the two, people often select friends and family over facts.
"The people who are most likely to change our minds are the ones we agree with on 98 percent of topics." - @bencasnocha
If someone you know, like, and trust believes a radical idea, you are more likely to give it merit, weight, or consideration.
The most heated arguments often occur between people on opposite ends of the spectrum, but the most frequent learning occurs from people who are nearby.
Any idea that is sufficiently different from your current worldview will feel threatening.
Books are often a better vehicle for transforming beliefs than conversations or debates.
In conversation, people have to carefully consider their status and appearance.
Books resolve this tension.
With a book, the conversation takes place inside someone's head.
Reading a book is like slipping the seed of an idea into a person's brain and letting it grow on their own terms.
There is another reason bad ideas continue to live on, which is that people continue to talk about them.
The number of people who believe an idea is directly proportional to the number of times it has been repeated during the last year—even if the idea is false.
Your time is better spent championing good ideas than tearing down bad ones.
Don't waste time explaining why bad ideas are bad.
You are simply fanning the flame of ignorance and stupidity.
The best thing that can happen to a bad idea is that it is forgotten.
The best thing that can happen to a good idea is that it is shared.
“Spend as little time as possible talking about how other people are wrong” - @tylercowen
Most people argue to win, not to learn.
“Are you willing to not win in order to keep the conversation going?” - @fortelabs
Be kind first, be right later.
Link: jamesclear.com/why-facts-dont…