Here is a useful guidepost about faith vs reason:


CONFIRMATION BIAS (from Google)
 
DESCRIPTION

When we have made a decision or built a hypothesis, we will actively 
seek things that will confirm our decision or hypothesis. We will also 
avoid things that will disconfirm this. The alternative is to face the 
dissonance of being wrong.

We use this approach both for searching our memory and looking for 
things in the external world.

So what?

USING IT

After having persuaded a person of something, help them feel good by 
letting them find examples that confirm their good example.

DEFENDING

After a decision is made, consider whatever evidence you can find, even 
if it disconfirms the decision—at least you will make a better decision 
next time. Also beware of people feeding you confirming evidence.

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SOME EXAMPLES (by others):

"For what a man more likes to be true, he more readily believes."  
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

“The mind lingers with pleasure upon the facts that fall happily into 
the embrace of the theory, and feels a natural coldness toward those 
that seem [not compatible with the theory]. Instinctively there is a 
special searching-out of phenomena that support it, for the mind is led 
by its desires.” …  “The working hypothesis differs from the ruling 
theory in that it is used as a means of determining facts, and has for 
its chief function the suggestion of lines of inquiry; the inquiry 
being made, not for the sake of the hypothesis, but for the sake of 
facts.”   Chamberlin — 1895

“… scientists do not seek to impose their needs and wants on Nature, 
but instead humbly interrogate Nature and take seriously what they 
find.”  Carl Sagan — 1985

“… scientific theories, by their very nature, cannot be negotiated or 
politically imposed.” Pat Duffy Hutcheon — 1997

“Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other 
people's thinking.” Steve Jobs — 2005

"Having one view prevail is harmful; it becomes a belief system, not 
science."  Kavan Khachaturian —2006

"An advocate knows the answer and looks for evidence to support it: a 
scientist asks nature how much support there is for competing 
hypotheses."  Ray Hilborn — 2006


											Adrian 

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