Throughout the article “Does
Everything Happen For A Reason,” Konika Banerjee a graduate student and Paul
Bloom a professor, both of psychology at Yale, explain what people think about
if things do really happen for a specific reason, which also represents the
bias of confirmation of what the people think throughout the situations the
article states. One example they state is about the Boston Marathon Bombing.
James Costello was cheering on a friend during the marathon when the bombs
exploded. He was severely injured and was in surgery and rehabilitation for
months. But during the months he formed a relationship with one of the nurses
and they soon became engaged. James said on Facebook, “’I now realize why I was
involved in the tragedy. It was to meet my best friend, and the love of my
life.”’ This is an example of confirmation bias because it shows that in James’
point of view the Boston Marathon Bombing happened for a reason because he
would have never met the love of his life.
Another form of confirmation bias
that was stated in the article was when they asked many people on how would you
reflect or describe how that special moment happened in your life. For example,
births of children, finding your love, the death of loved ones, illnesses,
graduations, etc. A majority of the religious people said these things do
happen for a reason. Also, that they are purposefully designed (by God).
Surprising many atheists did so as well; also many atheists said they believe
in fate. Fate is defined as the view that life events happen for a reason and
that there is an underlying order to life that determines how events turn out.
They also described confirmation
bias in kids. How young children show bias to believe that life events happen
for a reason, or in other words to ‘“send a sign”’ or ‘“to teach a lesson.”’ “This
belief in children exists regardless of how much exposure the children have had
to religion at home, and even if they’ve had none at all.”
In human nature we tend to see
meaning in life events: “our powerful drive to reason in psychological terms, to
make sense of events and situations by appealing to goals, desires and
intentions.” When we think about the actions of other people, this drive serves
us well because it helps us figure out why people behave as they do. But it can
also lead us into error when we overextend it which makes it seem like an
illusion that the world itself is full of purpose and design. It makes us move
toward the view that the world is a fundamentally fair place, where goodness is
rewarded and badness punished.
No comments:
Post a Comment