The latest Skeptoid podcast (transcript available) talks about something that happens to all of us: confirmation bias. A quote:

“To be an effective skeptic, it’s critical to understand that your opponent is not simply a lunatic. Maybe some are, but the majority are as intelligent and thoughtful as you. Dismissing your opponent as crazy is a weakness in you. When a skeptic talks with a believer, he often finds the believer to be closed minded, in that the believer is not open to any evidence that challenges his belief. The fact is that the believer also finds the skeptic to be closed minded, in that he does not accept the evidence that supports the belief. From the perspective of each, each is right. And that’s really important to understand.”

I recently blogged about Brian Dunning’s ‘Here Be Dragons‘ video, and now once again he manages to make me think about my beliefs and the basic assumptions at their foundation. Deciding to donate a little cash to the Skeptoid podcast is obviously one of my saner financial decisions of recent times.