An idyllic scene, painted by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, might be a way to view confirmation bias as reflected in society today. Romantics see this painting as the peaceful scene of a young lady enjoying a playful time. She appears to be flirting with a suitor, perhaps her young lover. He is hiding in the bushes, peeking under her bloomers.

Cynics taking a closer look uncover a darker scene at another corner of the painting. It is that of a cuckold husband. He is in the background pushing the swing (Les hasards heureux de l’escarpolette).

Today, both liberal thinkers and conservative thinkers may be seeing what they wish to see.

Sometimes we just see what we want to see

In 2024, Richard Born wrote “Stop Fooling Yourself! Diagnosing and Treating Confirmation Bias,” which he defined as “a cognitive bias that allows us to fool ourselves by selectively filtering data and distorting analyses to support favored beliefs or hypotheses.”

During political unrest, we might see an administration trying to keep the peace, or conversely, wreaking havoc in communities. If it appears that there are two sides to the story, which is accurate?

For some, it depends upon which version most closely aligns with their own political beliefs. Even with people using cell phones to photograph street action during confrontations, eyewitnesses may be filming actions based on their own preconceived notions.

Although eyewitness testimony has often proven to be questionable, with new methods and analysis, accuracy has improved. Further, Lindsay et al., 2025, reported: “Eyewitnesses typically provide reliable evidence on an initial, uncontaminated memory test, and this is true even for most of the wrongful convictions that were later reversed by DNA evidence.”

Finding truth during misinformation times is a challenge

We are living during a time in which political truth vs. misinformation is at a media high.

According to Fernbach et al., in Psychological Science, 2013, “People often hold extreme political attitudes about complex policies. We hypothesized that people typically know less about such policies than they think they do….The evidence suggests that people’s mistaken sense that they understand the causal processes underlying policies contributes to political polarization.”

Similar thinking takes place in left and right political polarization. Both views may have some validity, but which is the truth?

What we can do to remain open-minded and positive

Despite the myriad opinions, we should examine our own thinking and biases. Instead of shaking our heads at the country’s turmoil and fretting about the problems, it is possible to become a part of the solution. Ask yourself: Is what I am hearing consistent with my beliefs and biases? If not, here are some suggestions you may consider:

• Test yourself by reading editorials from news outlets whose opinions differ from yours. Sometimes there is a common element.
• Find a discussion group in which people are free to express opinions that might be different from yours. Listen without interrupting or judging.
• Follow people on social media who represent opposing points of view.
• Embrace gratitude during times of turmoil as well as during good times.
• Get involved within your community.
• Stay positive and be kind.

Author George Saunders gave an 11-minute graduation speech on kindness and regret. His words became the book, Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness.

His thought reflects an ancient admonition: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

Saunders reminds us to be kind today, because we may not be given another chance to do so tomorrow.

Copyright 2026 Rita Watson, MPH

References

Richard Born, Stop Fooling Yourself! (Diagnosing and Treating Confirmation Bias) 22 October 2024, 11 (10) ENEURO.0415-24.2024; https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0415-24.2024

Philip M Fernbach et al. Political extremism is supported by an illusion of understanding. *Psychol Sci. *2013 Jun 2013.

Lindsay, D. S., Wixted, J. T., Fitzgerald, R. J., Hyman, I. E., Jr., Mickes, L., & Wade, K. A. (2025). Eyewitness suspect identification: six claims regarding the state of the science. Memory, 33(7), 757–764. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2025.2551222

Richard A Wise, et al. An Examination of the Causes and Solutions to Eyewitness Error, Front Psychiatry. 2014 Aug 13;5:102. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00102

George Saunders, Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness, Random House, April 22, 2014, New York, NY