The cognitive error of accepting a convenient, low-effort piece of evidence as definitive proof, while ignoring the mountain of complex, contradictory, or difficult-to-obtain evidence. It’s the mental shortcut that prefers a simple, lazy answer over a complicated truth. This bias allows people to "prove" their point by pointing to a single, easily digestible factoid, a meme, or a headline, while dismissing nuanced studies or expert consensus as "too complicated."
Example: "He 'proved' vaccines were dangerous with one Facebook post about a friend's cousin, totally succumbing to Slothful Proof Bias."
by Dumu The Void March 11, 2026
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