It's funny how the human brain works, isn't it? I have been thinking this morning about confirmation bias recently. Confirmation bias is the tendecy of people to favor information that confirms their beliefs or hypotheses. For example, let's say that you get the idea that someone doesn't like you... and sometime later you see that person and they walk past you without saying a word. Confirmation bias would say, "See, I told you they didn't like me, they didn't even say hello." The person may not have even seen you, but confirmation bias doesn't care.
So what happens, is you have a thought... then you begin to look for things to confirm your bias. Ever had a day where you wake up and a couple of things bad happen? You stub your toe. You break your shoe lace as you are tying your shoe. All of a sudden, you have this thought, "Well this is just going to be one of those days," and you begin to look for things that will confirm that you are indeed having a bad day. And what happens... you really do begin to have a bad day.
I believe that we begin to move toward the things that we think about the most. Confirmation bias can move you in directions that you don't want to go... but it can also work in your favor.
Bear with me, just thinking this through. But I was thinking of Philippians 4:8 that says, "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praise worthy--think on these things." I really do believe that the key towards changing your life is changing the way you think... and changing the things you think about.
So how do you do that? How do you change the way you think? Well I think the starting place is understanding that we are easily capable of thinging the wrong things... and then using confirmation bias to confirm those negative things.
I think the key, is found in scrioture. Romans 12:2, " Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —His good, pleasing and perfect will." Or Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."
To renew your mind and think like Jesus thinks you have to become a student of the word of God. I am shocked by so many people I meet who claim to be believers, but they do not read the bible. They know only about God what they hear from their pastor on Sunday mornings, or from tv ministry.
So they are constantly being led around by their own selfish thoughts and desires and I am convinced that confirmation bias rattles them on a daily basis.
Again, this was just a quick blog on something I was thinking about this morning, but I want to encourage you... if you want to change your life... change the way you think.
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