We must start with the premise, generally accepted by psychologists, that people are pattern-seeking creatures. Indeed, our survival as a species has depended on this ability. Shermer writes, “Those who are best at finding patterns (standing upwind of game animals is bad for the hunt, cow manure is good for the crops) left behind the most offspring [and] we are their descendants.”16 Through the forces of evolution we are hardwired to seek patterns to explain our world, and those patterns form the foundation of our belief systems, even when they are inherently specious.
