SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIRMATION BIAS

. . . and you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).

There are no truly objective researchers.  Any researcher who has set forth a hypothesis tends to favor evidence that confirms his hypothesis.  That is the definition of confirmation bias.  Not only is confirmation bias a problem for researchers, it is a problem for ordinary people too.  If a person has come to the conclusion that he or she is worthless and has little to offer in terms of beauty, talent, intellect or finance, then that person only selects evidence that supports his conclusion.  If one is told he is ugly, stupid, fat, clumsy and will not amount to anything enough, he will believe it. 

In many cases, people with low self-esteem cannot be reasoned out of it.  There's an old counselor story about a man, "John," who came to the counselor believing he was dead.  The counselor reasoned with the man for most of the session, but then he finally used this argument when he asked the client, "John, do dead men bleed?" John replied, "no."  So, the counselor gave John a needle and asked him to prick his finger.  John did as the counselor asked and blood came from his finger.  Then the counselor said, "See, John, you are alive because dead men do not bleed."  Then John said, "Well what do you know, dead men do bleed!"

In dealing with depression and low self-esteem, this phenomena of confirmation bias is not easily dealt with, but the solution is always the truth.  Dr. Chris Thurman wrote a book called, The Lies We Believe.  It would be worthwhile reading for anyone dealing with depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.  Daily we are surrounded with messages about self-worth that are lies.  The antidote to that is bathing in the truth every day.  How do your beliefs and values line up with the sound teachings of the Bible?  Low self-esteem does not cause false beliefs, rather, the lies we choose to believe cause low self-esteem.

Our Father's Blessings,
Tom

*There is an emotional component to low self-esteem that makes it so difficult to remedy.  One additional facet of treatment is to fellowship with those who live the truth--those with healthy self-esteem.