A man referred to as the father of empirical science, Sir Francis Bacon, is quoted as follows:
“Man prefers to believe that which he prefers to be true.”
Not what’s true, but what he prefers to be true.
This is why we have the double blind aspect in research.
I think any good scientist would tell you they hope for the day when they discover a genuine, verified & confirmed anomaly -- not to their own pet theory, of course, but preferably to the theory of some old professor they particularly disliked in school.
Or maybe to the theory of a rival for the prettiest girl in class.
That's where true anomalies become not just challenging, but fun.
Point is, if you think of science as nothing more than self-protection or self-aggrandizement, well... it shouldn't be and in many, many cases is not.