Bertrand Russell’s dictum that ‘the fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt’. This is perhaps a substantial reason why absolutists and fundamentalists of every ilk hold disproportionate sway over public perception. In reality, total objectivity is an ideal that we seldom reach. Our expectations invariably shape perceptions and reactions. Our affinity for fortunetellers and horoscopes is a product of our need for validation, and the mere suggestion of an effect – whether positive or ill – is often in itself
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