“We must be aware that affirmation is more powerful than information.”
Someone didn’t agree with my supporting of women’s rights and thought their religious views were more important.
It seems using bible quotations to point out inconsistencies in other bible quotations was a bridge too far and, rather than discuss, debate and learn from each other, it was easier to click the unfollow option.
Echo chambers are dangerous, but understandable.
We like people like us. They tend to make us feel safe. They reaffirm and validate our existing beliefs. They “get” us.
This consensual psychological validation is an incredibly powerful influencer of how we create social groups, interact with strangers and handle new experiences.
But, when presented with evidence that conflicts with our views, the draw to have our existing beliefs and biases echoed back to us is more powerful.
This is true in organisations, where it breeds groupthink and standardisation of approaches, and discourages challenges to ideas and decisions.
This is why inclusion is important to culture.
We need different views.
But, more importantly, we need to create environments that allow for that inclusion and contribution.
We need to be conscious of our quest for affirmation, so that our natural reaction when presented with an alternative view isn’t to unfollow, but to ask “𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦…”
