These days, it seems like there's more arguing over what counts as a "fact" and what counts as an "opinion" than should ever be necessary. Well, we have bad
news. The trouble doesn't start with "fake
news" — it starts in your brain.
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Personal Growth
Your Brain Involuntarily Sees Opinions You Agree With as
Facts
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These days, it seems like there's more arguing over what counts as a "fact" and what counts as an "opinion" than should ever be necessary. Well, we have bad news. The trouble doesn't start with "fake news" — it starts in your brain.
Your Biased Brain
We already know that your interpretation of
facts can vary wildly depending on your beliefs. Confirmation bias and the backfire effect are always going to shape the
way you interact with your
world. But according to a new report on a phenomenon known as involuntary opinion confirmation, you might have a hard time sorting out the
facts in the first place. That's because when your brain is exposed to an opinion it agrees with, it automatically slips it into the "
facts" folder of your mental filing cabinet.