Belief perseverance: why we cling on to old ideas - Deepstash
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Belief Perseverance: The Premise

Belief Perseverance: The Premise

Our beliefs can help us navigate the world around us. However, when our beliefs do not line up with reality, they can cause harm to ourselves and others.

Also, these beliefs can become so deeply ingrained that they become very challenging to unlearn, even when presented with new information. This phenomenon is called belief perseverance.

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Why We Cling To False Beliefs

Our beliefs about ourselves, others, and how the world works come from many places. In part, formal instruction and education inform our belief systems.

The ideas we hold about ourselves and others also come from our experiences interacting with the world and secondary sources like the media. Belief perseverance happens when a person holds onto a belief even when presented with evidence that this belief is false.

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Three Types of Belief Perseverance

Three Types of Belief Perseverance

  1. First, self-impressions, which are beliefs about yourself, such as “beliefs about your athletic skills, musical talents, ability to get along with others, or even body image.”
  2. The second involves social impressions, which are beliefs about specific other people, such as “beliefs about your best friend, mother, or least favourite teacher.”
  3. Finally, the third type is called naive theories — these are beliefs about how the world works, including beliefs about the causes of war or poverty, stereotypes about teenagers, lawyers or other cultures, and any other social theories.

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The Impact of Belief Perseverance

The Impact of Belief Perseverance

If we cling to false beliefs, we risk causing harm to ourselves and those around us. Some of the adverse effects:

  • People with negative belief perseverance about their social abilities may avoid interpersonal interactions, resulting in mental disorders.
  • Employees with belief perseverance in their superior skills may fail to request the needed assistance when faced with a given challenge.
  • Dangerous decisions may be made because of a belief in perseverance in one’s ability to manage risk.

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How to Manage Belief Perseverance

The only way to somehow manage belief perseverance is to become aware of it.

The next step is to increase your self-awareness about your beliefs and where they come from. If you want to increase your self-awareness and challenge your beliefs about yourself and others, ask yourself these five questions:

  • What beliefs do I have about myself and my abilities?
  • What assumptions do I hold about other people?
  • Where did these beliefs come from?  
  • Are the beliefs I hold about myself and others accurate?
  • What experiences have I had that counter these beliefs?

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The Bottom Line

Our minds are prone to cognitive biases that may discord the way we consider these questions. Our need for coherence, combined with cognitive biases, make it very difficult to unlearn our false beliefs. Trusted friends or colleagues can help jog your memory to moderate the availability bias, the confirmation bias, and stay clear of illusory correlations.

Awareness and self-reflection are the best ways to address this phenomenon. Questioning our false beliefs can help us all grow and better achieve our goals.

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makidd

I see video and web as a way to reach and inspire people.

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