Our confirmation bias is one of the biggest deterrent to being rational in our thinking.
In the age of PR-pushed media, it is inevitable and easier to leak any type of story. A viewpoint can not only be strengthened but can also be moulded.
I can cite historical examples of how a dictator started doing this by controlling all kinds of media. But your response for the comparison would be, “That’s too far fetched”.
Sure, you can counter this to cite my confirmation bias as well. And I do know even I’m vulnerable to this idea. But I accept the notion of its presence as well.
Our POVs are under immense pressure. We are surrounded by mediums which are shouting and repeating a narrative. Even when we reject it once, this repetition causes us to atleast lend an ear. After all, our K-12 education system is based on the concept of rotting down tonnes of textual content only to vomit it out on a particular day to become intelligent.
One can tell a lie 100 times until it becomes the truth. That’s how propaganda works. That’s how concepts of “fear” are forced to creep into mindsets and evolve into ideologies.
As educated individuals, it should be our duty to have layers of questions, to those shouts. It’s important to question everything! Even the things we already know for a Fact.
I’ll end this post with a dialogue in ZNMD by Naseerudin Shah when Farhan Akhtar, asks him to tell the truth: “Sach kya Hai? Har ek ka apna apna version”.
Let’s try to get rid of our confirmation bias! Shall we?