Confirmation bias is not new
Confirmation bias is the human tendency to see and acknowledge only that information which confirms what we already believe, even leading us to ignore or dismiss glaring facts to the contrary.
We see this in virtually all areas of life. I remember counseling an abused wife who showed me a romantic greeting card he had given her saying “See, he really does love me…” But she ignored all that was obvious to anyone else. Or the businessman who continues to insist that his business is a success and he’s a smart businessman, when it is quite clear to anyone else that the business is tanking.
I won’t even begin on the Republicans and Democrats!
Confirmation bias is nothing new. When Jesus healed a man born blind (John 9, click here to read it) people first questioned whether it was actually the blind man they knew. Then they questioned whether Jesus could have done it because he didn’t follow their rules. Finally, the townspeople just drove him out in frustration.
Along side all this, Jesus talks with the Pharisees and leaders of the town about who is blind and who can see, finally telling them that their sin (their true blindness) is not in the fact that they didn’t see at first, but in their refusal to see something new.
Can you set aside your confirmation bias and prepare to see Jesus in a new way? It can be difficult to set aside the ways we have been accustomed to encountering Jesus, learning of Him, seeing Him at work (or not), even the way we interact with our Christian community, and embrace something new.
We may begin like the man born blind. We may not understand what is happening, only that something is different. Will we look to dismiss it, or embrace it and allow ourselves to be changed by it? Where might Jesus be pointing you to something new in your life?
This column appeared in the March 19, 2023 edition of St. John’s eNews. Click here for the complete issue.
If you are reading this at a different time, you may click here for the current eNews.
