For desired conclusions, we ask ourselves, “Can I believe this?”, but for unpalatable conclusions we ask, “Must I believe this? Thomas Gilovich More Quotes by Thomas Gilovich More Quotes From Thomas Gilovich When examining evidence relevant to a given belief, people are inclined to see what they expect to see, and conclude what they expect to conclude. Information that is consistent with our pre-existing beliefs is often accepted at face value, whereas evidence that contradicts them is critically scrutinized and discounted. Our beliefs may thus be less responsive than they should to the implications of new information Thomas Gilovich mind may people People will always prefer black-and-white over shades of grey, and so there will always be the temptation to hold overly-simplified beliefs and to hold them with excessive confidence Thomas Gilovich black-and-white temptation people We are the sum total of our experiences. Thomas Gilovich What we believe is heavily influenced by what we think others believe Thomas Gilovich human-behavior believe thinking We seek opinions that are likely to support what we want to be true. Thomas Gilovich true-friend support family When we do cross paths with people whose beliefs and attitudes conflict with our own, we are rarely challenged. Thomas Gilovich path attitude people