The Certainty Bias: A Potentially Dangerous Mental Flaw

Robert Burton is the former chief of neurology at the University of California at San Francisco-Mt. Zion hospital. He recently wrote a book, On Being Certain, that explored the neuroscience behind the feeling of certainty, or why we are so convinced we’re right even when we’re wrong. He and Jonah Lehrer, the editor of Mind Matters, discussed the science of certainty. Full Story »

Posted by Leo Romero

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Dennis A. Abbott
4.5
by Dennis A. Abbott - Oct. 12, 2008

Informative, interesting, useful. Explains why certainty, in spite of inadequate evidence, appears to be hard-wired into our brains like survival mechanisms. Between Burton and Lakoff, I'll soon figure out why so many disagree with me, even though I'm always right.

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