We all have narratives by which we understand the world and our place in it. Some narratives are critical to our sense of identity. Preferred narratives support our worldview, our membership in a group, or our self-perception as a good and valuable person. We have narratives and beliefs that serve our basic psychological needs, such as the need for a sense of control. When those beliefs are challenged, we don’t take a rational and detached approach. We dig in our heels and engage in what is called motivated reasoning. We defend the core beliefs at all costs, shredding logic, discarding
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