From the article: “It is my belief that this inability to discuss political issues is because my liberal friends look only at online sites that share their worldview; they watch only TV news that reinforces their worldview; they discuss politics only with people who share their worldview; and they often look at social media that make them think the liberal view on a topic is the only rational one to have.”
That isn’t just a liberal thing. Conservatives do it too.
It’s called “confirmation bias, the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs. This biased approach to decision making is largely unintentional and often results in ignoring inconsistent information. Existing beliefs can include one’s expectations in a given situation and predictions about a particular outcome. People are especially likely to process information to support their own beliefs when the issue is highly important or self-relevant.”
ignoring inconsistent information.
Just what is it about conservatism that is inconsistent? Conservatism is based on tried and true policies. Liberalism is inconsistent.
Case in point: “Sanctuary Cities”- what is it about liberals’ behavior recently in that regard that is consistent?
Where is conservatism inconsistent? We can back up what we believe with facts, not feelings.
It’s called “confirmation bias, the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs.”
And to that I plead guilty.
I don’t bother tuning in to network tv evening news, CNN, NPR, MSNBC et. al. nor do I spend my valuable time trying to make sense of what’s out there in leftist publications and on blogs.
So, yes, you could say that I’m in a conservative “echo chamber.”
The difference being, I would say, is that I need to make an effort in that regard.
With the left, opinions affirming their beliefs are ubiquitous, from academia to Hollywood to social media and beyond.
That’s THEIR “echo chamber.”
The purpose of an ‘open mind’ is to close it upon the true and useful. Lefties insist on an open mind so much their brains fell out.
It's a much more difficult thing for conservatives to pull off. The entire apparatus of the culture openly and loudly touts the liberal point of view. A conservative cannot escape it. Liberals can live for months and never come into actual contact with a genuine conservative position. This is why they are so shocked when they encounter one, and why they are so ill-prepared for the encounter.
Bottom line, confirmation bias is not even on the same scale for conservatives than it is for liberals. To claim otherwise is to ignore reality.