Scout mindset is the pursuit of truth

The scout mindset, as Galef terms it, can be thought of as “accuracy motivated reasoning” and the process of pursuing truth is akin to a scout forming a map of the strategic landscape.

In contrast to directionally motivated reasoning, which evaluates ideas through the lenses of “Can I believe it?” and “Must I believe it?,” accuracy motivated reasoning evaluates ideas through the lens of “Is it true?” … If directionally motivated reasoning is like being a soldier fighting off threatening evidence, accuracy motivated reasoning is like being a scout forming a map of the strategic landscape. What’s beyond that next hill? Is that a bridge over the river or are my eyes deceiving me? Where are the dangers, the shortcuts, the opportunities? What areas do I need more information about? How reliable is my intel?[1]

#psychology

See also:

  1. The Scout Mindset – Galef (2021), ch. 1. ↩︎