Haidt also cites the work of fellow social psychologist, Tom Gilovich who studies “the cognitive mechanisms of strange beliefs.” If we want to believe something, Gilovich says, we ask, “Can I believe it?” and we need only a single piece of evidence, no matter its provenance, so that “we can stop thinking” because we “now have permission to believe” what we wanted to believe. The flip side is that when we are confronted with uncomfortable or unwanted information that we do not want to believe, we ask “Must I believe?” and look for a reason to reject the argument or fact. Again, only a single
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