I saw someone writing online about a conspiracy theory and they claimed to be open to anyone debunking their theory. I considered it and thought I would ask them one critical question. “What evidence would persuade you that your theory is incorrect?”

If they cannot identify any potential evidence that would persuade them to change their mind, are they really open? (Of course, I need to be able to pass the same test and identify evidence that would persuade me that their theory is correct.) In the end I decided not to test my question. It’s wasn’t worth the risk of ruining a friendship.

Sometimes it’s fun to listen to conspiracy theories and it seems harmless if there’s little risk involved. On the other hand, when being wrong could harm us or others, we need to be thoughtful about what we believe. One pitfall is that we tend to believe things we hear frequently (even when false). The more you research your theory, the more likely you will believe it. Another pitfall is the tendency to seek out evidence that confirms our perceptions. To offset the risk of fooling yourself, you should also seek evidence that would disprove your theory.

We all suffer from cognitive biases. What do you do to be aware of and overcome yours?