Belief Perseverance

The Sky Is Not Blue

I work with a woman who will argue anything with anyone.  She always has an opinion, and it’s always right. Dare you disagree with her and she will tell you just how wrong you are until there is bloodshed.  I have witnessed the beat-down on more than one occasion, and even, once, engaged in a battle of differing opinions with her. Often her opinions begin as an uninformed judgment and through repetition become firmly ensconced as a belief. “When there is no compelling external explanation of one’s words, saying becomes believing” (Klass, 1978, as cited by Myers, 2010 p 133)

As a young girl my co-worker lost her father in an accident. Her youthful naivety and sheltered world was shattered by something beyond her control. The one thing she can control is her beliefs. Myers (2010) sheds light on why, “The bottom line: We view our social worlds through the spectacles of our beliefs, attitudes, and values. That is one reason our beliefs are so important; they shape our interpretation of everything else” (p. 84).  

According to Myers (2010) “We are eager to verify our beliefs but less inclined to seek evidence that might disprove them, a phenomenon called the confirmation bias” and “People also tend not to seek information that might disprove what they believe” (p 93). My co-worker in question chooses not to listen or educate herself on that which she comes to believe.  When others engage her battle of beliefs, an explanation by Charles Kiesler rings true, “When you attack committed people and your attack is of inadequate strength, you drive them to even more extreme behaviors in defense of their previous commitment” (197, p 88. as cited by Myers, 2010 p 260). Right or wrong, informed or ignorant, I have never witnessed a difference of opinion that does not escalate into a perceived attack, thus further entrenching her beliefs.

Reference

Myers, D. (2010) Social Psychology (10^th ed.) McGraw-Hill. New York, New York.