In his new book, Changing My Mind, Julian Barnes examines the obstacles to changing our beliefs, arguing that emotional influences often overshadow rational arguments. Drawing on the misattributed quote of Keynes, he critiques our intellectual fallibility and aligns himself more closely with Dadaist ideas, acknowledging that our thoughts are malleable. Although Barnes does not retract his belief in the power of literature to understand the world, he acknowledges that psychological research reveals our biases, including confirmation bias and motivated reasoning, which hinder our ability to adapt our beliefs even when confronted with new evidence.
Barnes concludes that our beliefs are changed less by argument or evidence than by emotion, reflecting a shift from reason to emotional influence.
His shift in perspective resonates with a host of troubling results in social psychology, especially the confirmation bias shaping our interpretations.
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