Looking for a Bit of Good News

Preoccupation with tracking the latest on THE pandemic has resulted in my overlooking the fact that it, Covid, is neither the only nor even most persistent pandemic with which we need be concerned. Our tendency to engage in binary thinking, that either – or type of thinking where anything outside, beyond, or

at all different from my view of the world is at the least wrong if not viewed as dangerous. Binary thinking necessitates living in an “us and them” world where to protect “our” view of what is right and defend against “theirs,” we succumb to many of the cognitive biases that tend to sabotage our capacity for rational thought and consequently our willingness if not ability to display compassion and embrace our innate humanism. 

Confirmation bias and the availability heuristic are 2 of the more frequently experienced of these biases that foster much of the negativism, doubt, and suspicion experienced when considering “them” and their attitudes, values, and beliefs. The result is the all too frequent display of contempt that manifests itself in disregard for authority, distrust of all who differ our thinking, and the civil and political strife that seems to plague our planet in the 21st Century.

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out information that supports the beliefs I hold and represent “the truth” while disregarding any argument or evidence that supports the contrary. The availability heuristic – and “heuristic” is just a fancy word for a mental shortcut – compliments cognitive bias in that what we see and hear most serves to document what constitutes reality. When these two biases exist in tandem, seeking out evidence that supports my views regarding the truth and why your views are wrong if not dangerous, the result is finding myself surrounded with ample “available” information that underscores the veracity of my beliefs. 

As challenging as the times in which we live may be, however, there is good news and more than just an inkling of hope, a vaccine of sorts to inoculate against these cognitive biases. To prove this bold statement, I share a couple of my favorites as examples:

First, Playing for Change. This is a program that records music performed by street musicians and

individuals from all walks of life and around the world and then edits them into very moving and uplifting covers for some of the more memorable 20th Century music, music with lyrics of hope and love. 2 of my favorites are the 1960s Sly and the Family Stone's Everyday People and Ben E. King's Stand By Me -  To hear more examples, just search “Playing for Change” in YouTube.

As regards a bit of good news related to current events, check out the Reasons to be Cheerful website -  This site curates stories from around the world that showcase and highlight the good in the world and foster a sense of hope if only we look for it.

We humans are prone to succumb to many of the cognitive biases mentioned above. To avoid these unfortunate tendencies, we need to look beyond our usual sources of information. Please note that none of the suggested hope-filled examples cited above speaks to politics, religion, or any specific ideology. Each is only concerned with documenting our potential as humans to move from our current us – them, either – or thinking to a celebration of “we the people” and a “both – and” way of thinking.

In closing, check out any episode of John Krasinski's Some Good News on his YouTube channel to, again, infuse your psyche with a sense of hope and renew your faith in the fact that at least some are trying to do something to counteract the negativism, gloom, and catastrophizing that "seems" so prevalent in the world today.

What do you think?