I have written a post about always being right. Please check out the post just to give you context for this one.
Do you consume information to learn the truth or do you consume information to affirm you for being right? It’s a great question. The more you hear that “you are right,” the more that affirms your thoughts and beliefs. The more you start to believe that you are right. Many times that is what we are really going after – and we confuse that with the truth. So back to the original question, do you read things that affirm your identity of being right or do you read things that affirm the truth?
You are going to have to step outside of your identity to see it. You’ll need to take a look at what you’re reading and step back from it to see if it is simply affirming your being right or if it affirms truth.
The only way to test this is to read people that you think might be wrong. They will challenge your assumptions and your ideas. They will push back on your thought process and move you away from your identity of being right and move more into this idea of affirming truth.
Why are you reading this? Does this affirm your sense of being right or a truth in your life? Only you can answer that.
identitySPECIALIST 
This is an interesting question! I’ve noticed (ESP. during difficult times) that I read things AND interpret things which conveniently affirm what I believe. It’s usually because thinking otherwise causes to much pain or conflict (within myself). This is mainly only when it comes to things about myself – identity, personality etc… For anything else, I’m generally more open minded when it comes to learning or being corrected.
I really liked the question when I heard it. The truth of that question really intrigued me. There is so much truth to that.
You are so right. The internal pain and conflict of figuring out identity and self – that’s not something that we are taught or learn how to do. We need to learn how to do it. We need to learn how to teach it.
The difficult times form and shape our identity. It’s how we become ourselves. When we hear that we are “right,” we start to believe it. We start to need it. Hopefully, we find the strength to seek out the truth about who we are. Thank you for commenting – so much.
Read something I don’t agree with?! Why?
I can find a news channel that agrees with me, I can listen to radio hosts that agree with me, I can use an app that tailors the news I receive on my phone or computer, i can live in a gated community, send my kids to a private school and even tell the board of education what should be in text books.
This is a huge problem in the US. People are able to avoid anything that challenges their viewpoint.
Hahaha. For one of my classes, I interviewed a friend from N Ireland. She told my class that we Americans are pretty arrogant about the information that we know. We’re all to good at not thinking.
Thanks for the post Gareth.