In these uncertain times, please be mindful that there is an enormous amount of misinformation floating around. Remember to rely on credible information from legitimate sources & accredited experts rather than misleading internet trolls in tin foil hats. When sifting through the bullshit, it helps to be aware of the cognitive errors & mental biases the human mind is naturally prone to make when dealing with information & making judgments:
1️⃣ Confirmation Bias: Our tendency to search for information which confirms our current theory & disregard any contradictory evidence; not bothering to seek out information that contradicts our ideas/beliefs.
2️⃣ Belief Perseverance: Holding onto our beliefs when facing contrary evidence, ignoring evidence that proves our beliefs are wrong & interpreting information in a way that fits our beliefs.
3️⃣ Overconfidence: Due to our innate self-serving bias, we overestimate the accuracy of our own estimates, predictions & knowledge. We tend to be more confident than correct.
4️⃣ Availability Heuristic: Estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory; if instances come readily to mind (perhaps based on their vividness), we presume such events are common.
5️⃣ Intuition: There is tremendous value in learning how to trust your “gut feelings” — but (hard truth) your feelings are irrelevant when it comes to the validity of scientific research & medical expertise. Now is the time for careful, rational reasoning.
