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."