“Do your own research” is an insult, but how do you avoid confirmation bias when looking for the truth?

Joey Robert Parks started us off by saying he tries to keep an open mind and look for counter-arguments to his existing opinion.

 

Jim Tam came in next to say that it feels like someone is being lazy when they say “do your own research.” Or maybe they don’t really know the answer. He believes it takes a very secure person to challenge their own biases and keep an open mind.

 

Lisa McDonald pointed out that actual scientific research is about looking for things that say your hypothesis is wrong. But the way it is generally used, people mean “do your own research” and you’ll find things that support me.

 

My frustration with people who insult me with “do your own research” is that there is no data I can bring to the table that is disagreement with them that is “acceptable.” They want me to do my own research but only if I find information that agrees with their existing beliefs. 

 

After we turned the recording off Jim made the point that there are really smart people who think differently than he does and he wonders, what do they know that I don’t?

 

Have “do your own research” been tossed at you as an insult? How do you make sure you get a well-rounded look at a topic before you create your opinion?

 

Connect with the panelists:
Joey Robert Parks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeyrobertparks/

He is a 32-book author and ghostwriter and The DaVinci of Writing. He can write in any style, genre, or topic, and make it sound natural, like he’s been an expert in it for decades.

 

Jim Tam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtam/

Is a Principal Client Director with Korn Ferry’s Digital group where he advises organizations on how to improve their sales effectiveness using world-class sales methodology and technology.

 

Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/

Founder of Career Polish where she is an specializes in career management and executive presence.

 

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

AKA Mental MacGyver. My doctorate is in organizational business psychology with a concentration in sport and performance. I provide luxury level, high performance support and coaching to executives, founders, celebrities and athletes.

 

Want a summary of Quick Hits plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist in your in-box every week? Let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.MentalMacGyver.com