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The parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are striking.
By Ethan Elkind
Both events featured stark warnings from scientists about impending disaster. Both required early, short-term mobilization that would head off severe longer-term pain. And both were routinely ignored and laughed at by right-wing denialists, with prominent Fox News pundits and Donald Trump (among others) labeling them both “hoaxes.”
Why do people cling to incorrect beliefs?
UC Berkeley recently featured an interview on this question with Celeste Kidd, a computational cognitive scientist at the university who studies false beliefs, curiosity, and learning. First, Ms. Kidd described the problem:
All of us stick to beliefs in the face of contradictory evidence. All of us have beliefs that do not match reality. It is unavoidable. But it’s possible that some people are better or worse than others at keeping an open mind. Our previous research suggests that uncertainty makes people more willing to change their mind. The downside of that is that constant uncertainty can make us less willing to make decisions and act, which would make it hard to navigate life.
So can people learn to improve their ability to reconsider beliefs in the face of contradictory evidence? While her research does not yet indicate that training could be effective for intransigent thinkers, she does offer this optimistic note:
But I see hope in the fact that people are fundamentally social and that they seek to engage with one another. People are sensitive to the beliefs of those around them. When those beliefs change, people may reconsider their positions. That’s why talking about what is happening is important, and informed people who know the most should be talking the loudest.
Of course, when everyone thinks they’re informed on a subject, then you end up with a lot of noise. But when the results of certain beliefs lead to undeniable disaster, whether it’s a global pandemic or worsening climate impacts, closed minds do start to change — just hopefully not too late to avert catastrophe.
Amen.