Source: Persuasion
by Dan Williams
“We’re instinctive ‘naive realists,’ treating our convictions as direct reflections of self-evident facts rather than partial and fallible interpretations of shadows on a cave wall. I find these observations to be widely under-appreciated. Naive realism isn’t just mistaken; it’s harmful. At the individual level, naive realism breeds intellectual complacency and arrogance. At the collective level, it drives polarization, animosity, and a sense of mutual alienation when the self-evident truths affirmed by different political tribes diverge. If reality is transparent — if the truth is manifest — why don’t others see the same reality you do? They must be lying, crazy, or stupid. There must be sinister forces conspiring to obscure or hide the facts. For this reason, naive realism doesn’t just blind us to our own biases. It leads us to exaggerate the biases of our rivals and enemies.” (03/19/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-everyone-is-biased-bias