You can never know everything, and part of what you know is always wrong. Perhaps even the most important part. A portion of wisdom lies in knowing that. A portion of courage lies in going on anyway. — Author Robert Jordan
Do you worry about how fact and fiction get mixed up and propagated?
Do you think most folks are good at telling the difference?
Research shows that confirmation bias can make it hard to accept new information.
It’s a cognitive bias that affects all of us.
Unless we’re aware of it, it can lead us to block out facts we don’t like or focus on sources that confirm what we believe.
Did you see that happen in 2020? (I did.)
But in today’s info-soaked world it’s harder than ever to know what’s true and what can be trusted.
2 in 3 Americans say misinformation is a bigger problem than violent crime, racism, terrorism, and climate change.
What’s a big lesson about knowledge we can take with us from 2020?
Acknowledging that no one has all the facts and that some of the facts we believe may not be true.
We’re tackling lessons learned from 2020 in this month’s Visual Insights Newsletter.
The fact that no one knows everything—and no one ever will—is comforting. It means it’s OK to be wrong and change our minds.
That gives us room to grow, remain curious, and continue learning.
Embracing that can enrich our lives in the New Year and beyond.