McRaney's Fallacies Mariela Quesada Flanders College

People have the tendency of proving to others and themselves that they are right when it comes to what they do and what they say. It is simply a mechanic to protect the person’s ego based on the notion that nobody likes it when they are proven wrong. McRaney’s “Confirmation Bias,” “Hindsight Bias,” “Backfire Effect,” and “Brand Loyalty” essays discuss the misconceptions that people often have when it comes to established preconceived ideas and dismantling the fallacies to reveal the psychological truth behind the justifications. All four essays share the similar concept pertaining to the human phenomenon of adjusting justifications to legitimize their claims.

The ability to selectively choose certain information to bolster one’s position is prominent in everyday human behavior. The average individual usually has the human instinct to desire being proven correct. The blind pursuit of infallibility makes individuals susceptible to denial in order to cope with the egotistical notion that they can do no wrong. McRaney’s “Confirmation Bias” and “Backfire Effect” essays reflect the fallacy of specifically choosing certain pieces of information to confirm their viewpoint alone. Both misconceptions deal with the effect that information...