Fear of Being Wrong

Our knowledge and beliefs form over time, each new idea built upon the foundation of what we already know—just like a house, expanded and modified over the years. When flaws appear—cracks in the walls, a leaky roof—we patch them up rather than demolishing the house. We reinforce weak spots, shielding it from storms and earthquakes that threaten its stability. Most structures, even flawed ones, are reinforced rather than rebuilt from scratch.

We defend our beliefs just as fiercely. When something threatens their foundation, we resist—reinforcing them rather than reconsidering. Just as we fortify a house against storms, we fortify our worldview against ideas that could shake it. It’s no surprise, then, that people go to great lengths to defend their beliefs—often not to seek truth, but to avoid being wrong. Even the most well-reasoned evidence is met with resistance if it threatens the foundation they have built.