Escaping the Echo-chamber
*Confirmation bias* - are you aware of it?
It’s the tendency to search for information that confirms our beliefs, rather than looking for information that might challenge those beliefs (sort of like having mental blindspots).It’s particularly problematic in the world of nutrition, wellness and social media. For example, if you’re a big fan of the Ketogenic diet, you’ll see lots of Keto-programs, Keto-influencers and Keto-ads on your screen. If you’re vegan, same thing. If you’re into essential oils, same thing.These are called echo-chambers, and we can get trapped in them.
If you want information that challenges you to think and learn beyond your current belief system and isn’t “filtered”, you need to go out of your way to get it.
To avoid confirmation bias, I read books, do courses, read articles and listen to podcasts on all sorts of topics that challenge my belief systems. I expose myself to arguments “for” GMOs, ultra-processed fake meats, hydroponics, MLM products, industrial agriculture, etc. Although I’m yet to be convinced of the benefits for any of these things, I'm challenged and forced to think critically about how trustworthy and unbiased the information I'm consuming is.I always learn something... whether I agree with it or not is beside the point!
As consumers, it's important to question the “evidence” for something - is it simply testimonials or personal opinion? Are you being sold to? Who is making the claims, do they have the qualifications and experience to do so?
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Complex problems rarely, if ever, have simple solutions.
