How does confirmation bias influence our beliefs and decisions?

Confirmation bias is when we choose to believe what we already think, and ignore or forget things that don’t match.

Imagine you have a favorite toy, like a red ball. You believe it’s the best toy ever. Now, whenever you play with it, you feel happy and excited. But if someone shows you a blue ball that's just as fun, you might not notice, because your brain is saying, “No, no, red is better!” That’s confirmation bias in action.

When we like something or believe something, our brains become like a loyal friend who only listens to us. They remember the fun times and forget the boring ones. So if you think your red ball is the best, your brain will remind you of all the games you’ve had with it, but it might not even notice that the blue ball could be just as good.

This isn’t just about toys, it’s also how we make big decisions. If you believe a certain team is going to win, your brain might see every little victory they have and forget all their losses. That means when you pick your favorite team, it's not always because they're the best, sometimes it’s because your brain likes being right.

Confirmation bias makes us stick with what we know, even if there's a better option just waiting to be discovered!