Belief Perseverance
Why do we hold on to beliefs even after they’re disproved?
4.1 (16)
54 mins
Discover how people continue clinging to ideas even when faced with strong, contradictory evidence that proves them wrong. Uncover how this stubborn persistence influences judgments, decision-making, and the way we reason about the world around us.
Ep 1:
When Debunked Beliefs Refuse to Die
From fabricated firefighter data to a failed doomsday prophecy, discover how thoroughly debunked beliefs somehow survive intact—and even grow stronger—inside the human mind.
Ep 2:
The Lawyer Living Inside Your Skull
Explore the hidden machinery behind mental stubbornness, from biased assimilation to the possessive language we use for beliefs, and why our minds resemble self-protecting planets.
Ep 3:
Scales, Screens, and Selective Truth
Dive into how digital algorithms supercharge our biases, why facts can backfire and deepen false convictions, and how a bathroom scale reveals our rigged inner skepticism.
Ep 4:
Webs, Worlds, and the Reality We Build
Meet the inner lawyer that argues only for what you want true, then journey into belief webs, alternate realities, and the mind-bending idea that beliefs shape the very reality we perceive.
Ep 5:
Why Stubborn Minds Endure and Adapt
Trace belief perseverance back to our ancestral survival instincts, examine why beliefs feel like possessions worth defending, and find hopeful strategies for loosening our grip on certainty.
Discussions (13)
Asa
Level 3 · 9 mo agoThe bathroom scale analogy is spot on. It explains why people demand proof for facts they dislike but blindly accept anything that confirms their bias.
Clement
Level 5 · 8 mo agoMy brain’s lawyer is billing for serious overtime.
Grayson
Level 6 · 8 mo agoFestinger event was 1954.
