The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics

by Tim Harford

When we encounter evidence that we dislike, we ask ourselves, “Must I believe this?” More detail will often give us more opportunity to find holes in the argument. And when we encounter evidence that we approve of, we ask a different question: “Can I believe this?” More detail means more toeholds on to which that belief can cling.[19] The counterintuitive result is that presenting people with a detailed and balanced account of both sides of the argument may actually push people away from the center rather than pull them in. If we already have strong opinions, then we’ll seize upon welcome evidence, but we’ll find opposing data or arguments irritating. This biased assimilation of new evidence means that the more we know, the more partisan we’re able to be on a fraught issue.