Responding to bias

I wrote a reply to a comment on a very good article discussing cycling social norms concerning road use. I think it was a good exercise in responding to an argument that was founded on a few unstated and questionable assumptions.


The article may be found here: http://iamtraffic.org/2013/03/the-stories-we-tell-part-one/. I am ResponsibleRiderInOrlando. (Originial, huh?)

Into the lion's den

Confirmation bias is the term for seeking out sources of information that positively reflect one's current beliefs. Sometimes these sources can be other people.

Today I had a conversation with an old acquaintance who readily extolled his beliefs on religious open-mindedness, problems with government, and other weighty affairs. I agreed with nearly everything he said; I found myself making small remarks in agreement. And these were the only remarks I was making.

I notice that when like-minded people converse on polarizing topics, their conversations simply reflect their collective moods and nothing much new is learned. To arrive at new conclusions, we have to challenge our beliefs. Very often this means associating with people who have very different views from our own. It's good practice at arguing, and is valuable so long as we remain open-minded to allowing our beliefs to change.

Note: I wonder if my idea of values and beliefs, as defined in LessWrong, are the same thing.