Seeking Confirmation, Following Crowds, & Story’s Limits
Wednesday Wisdoms for April 16, 2025
Mind Candy is a newsletter on practical philosophy and human flourishment—aka how to live “the good life.” Each month we tackle a new theme.
This month we’re exploring the theme of Story.
Welcome to Wednesday Wisdom, our 3x3 Newsletter where I distill worldly advice for better living with 3 quotes, 3 observations, and 3 questions.
Seeking Confirmation
🤨 Quote
“We often use reasoning not to find the truth but to invent arguments to support our deep and intuitive beliefs.”
Jonathan Haidt
Source: The Happiness Hypothesis
Observation 🧐
All of our beliefs are tied to the stories we tell ourselves.
These beliefs become a part of us over time. Our personalities, our careers, our morals, all these things and many more are tied to the stories we hold within us.
Changing those stories in the face of facts or truth does not help us suddenly update our reasoning. Rather, we seek out information that further supports our own beliefs.
Rather than seeking truth, we often seek to confirm the beliefs and opinions we already hold because our lives are too entrenched in the original stories.
As Michael Shermer has put it:
“Beliefs come first; reasons for belief follow in confirmation of the realism dependent on the belief.”
In order to seek truth, we must be willing to let go of the stories we hold in order to open up space for what could be.
🤔 Question
Think about a belief you hold dearly, one that is tied to your identity. Have you ever sought to disprove it rather than support it?
Following Crowds
🤨 Quote
“The fact that a great many people believe something is no guarantee of its truth.”
W. Somerset Maugham
Source: The Razor’s Edge
Observation 🧐
The more we hear a story, the more likely we are to believe it’s true. The more people who believe and repeat the story, the more credibility it appears to have on the surface.
But just because many people believe or tell a story does not make it true.
Facts and logic build truth. Stories can be made of anything.
Rather than judging a story’s validity based upon how many people say it, we must look to the underlying facts and determine for ourselves if they hold up to scrutiny.
More often than not, many of us are lead by collective illusions rather than truth seeking.
🤔 Question
Think about something you believe and ask yourself, is this belief because I believe it to be true or because it’s popular?
Beneath the paywall this week we explore the wisdom of Todd May. Click below to support and get access.