Motivated reasoning is the soldier mindset

The “Scout Mindset” seeks to see things as they are. By contrast, the “Soldier Mindset” seeks to defend what one believes to be true. Galef illustrates the latter by rawing from the well-known example metaphor of ARGUMENT IS WAR:^[1]

Beneath the surface of our conscious awareness, however, it’s as if we’re soldiers, defending our beliefs against threatening evidence. In fact, the metaphor of reasoning as a kind of defensive combat is baked right into the English language, so much so that it’s difficult to speak about reasoning at all without using militaristic language. We talk about our beliefs as if they’re military positions, or even fortresses, built to resist attack. Beliefs can be deep-rooted, well-grounded, built on fact, and backed up by arguments. They rest on solid foundations. We might hold a firm conviction or a strong opinion, be secure in our beliefs or have unshakeable faith in something. Arguments are either forms of attack or forms of defense. If we’re not careful, someone might poke holes in our logic or shoot down our ideas. We might encounter a knock-down argument against something we believe. Our positions might get challenged, destroyed, undermined, or weakened. So we look for evidence to support, bolster, or buttress our position. Over time, our views become reinforced fortified, and cemented. And we become entrenched in our beliefs, like soldiers holed up in a trench, safe from the enemy’s volleys. And if we do change our minds? That’s surrender. If a fact is inescapable, we might admit, grant, or allow it, as if we’re letting it inside our walls. If we realize our position is indefensible, we might abandon it, give it up, or concede a point, as if we’re ceding ground in a battle. Throughout the next few chapters, we’ll learn more about motivated reasoning, or as I call it, soldier mindset.

source: The Scout Mindset – Galef (2021) § “Reasoning as Defensive Combat”

#cognition #mindset