# Is there a term for when someone looks only for proof that supports their position? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005 "2009-01-12T23:31:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/1 "2009-01-12T23:31:24Z")
Cherry-picking? Anything else? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/2 "2009-01-12T23:34:26Z")
Yeah…fuckwit, numbnuts, dickhead, etc. I reckon it’s some form of confirmation bias. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/3 "2009-01-12T23:36:16Z")
Well, that would describe the person who does it. I’m looking more for a verb or an idiom… ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/4 "2009-01-12T23:38:07Z")
what’s the matter with [Confirmation Bias](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias)? ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/5 "2009-01-12T23:38:52Z")
For that matter, what is wrong with the verb “to cherry-pick?” ---
**Author:** ![John\_H\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@John\_H\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_H_1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/6 "2009-01-12T23:52:52Z")
I would call it ‘uncritical’. I think most people have a tendency to search for supporting evidence rather than to try to disprove their beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/7 "2009-01-12T23:53:31Z")
> [@seodoa](#): > > For that matter, what is wrong with the verb “to cherry-pick?” Nothing. When I said it, though, I got that feeling that there was another term for it that’s used less often. I feel like it’s an idiom like “putting the cart before the horse” or something. I’m just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/8 "2009-01-13T00:28:51Z")
How about “selecting the evidence”? ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/9 "2009-01-13T00:39:05Z")
How about “looks only for proof that supports their position”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/10 "2009-01-13T00:42:17Z")
“Self-fulfilling prophecy” seems to be in the ballpark. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/11 "2009-01-13T00:54:29Z")
> [@gitfiddle](#): > > Nothing. When I said it, though, I got that feeling that there was another term for it that’s used less often. I feel like it’s an idiom like “putting the cart before the horse” or something. > > I’m just curious. Fair enough. It is certainly idiomatic, but, in my experience, it is the least cumbersome and most readily understandable word for the job. Replacing it with a phrase like the aforementioned ,“looks only for proof that supports their position,” or something like, “His argument suffers from confirmation bias,” are great alternatives but, compared to good ol’ “cherry-pickin’,” the former is rather verbose and the latter uses a phrase like “confirmation bias,” which may not be well-understood, depending on the intended audience. Definitely sounds more academic, though. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/12 "2009-01-13T01:01:24Z")
How about “only hears what they want to hear”? Somewhat more idiomatic than my previous suggestion… ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/13 "2009-01-13T01:03:38Z")
There are several relevant words/phrases at the wiki page for [confirmation bias](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias#See_also) ---
**Author:** ![jakesteele](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/14 "2009-01-13T03:41:57Z")
Selective Perception. This is editing out what doesn’t fit or trying to diminish or minimize something that doesn’t fit your viewpoint. You see this all the time on Hannity and Colmbes. Also, you can call it “cherry picking” which is kind of like “Weapons of mass destruction.” ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/15 "2009-01-13T12:24:13Z")
cherry-picking; confirmation-bias; selective \*. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/16 "2009-01-13T12:33:20Z")
It’s a form of intellectual dishonesty if it’s done deliberately. I think ‘confirmation bias’ implies it isn’t deliberate and is the result of selective perception coupled with a failure to think critically. It’s surprisingly easy to fool yourself into some level of confirmation bias, especially if it justifies a larger philosophy. It’s important to maintain the distinction between accidental and deliberate misrepresentation. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/17 "2009-01-13T19:20:46Z")
Justice Scalia once referred to this phenomenon as “looking over a crowd and picking out your friends.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/18 "2009-01-13T19:43:22Z")
“Usenet posters.” ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/19 "2009-01-13T21:27:56Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Justice Scalia once referred to this phenomenon as “looking over a crowd and picking out your friends.” That’s great! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-when-someone-looks-only-for-proof-that-supports-their-position/481005/20 "2009-01-13T21:38:20Z")
I’d define “cherry picking” as selecting and/or advancing, from a body of evidence, only those elements that support one’s preconceived conclusion. It’s the colloquial term which comes closest to what you’re seeking. Confirmation bias is a bit technical but pretty much nails the phenomenon. Related might be the logical fallacy, for the name of which I’m presently drawing a blank, of assuming for one’s proof a variant on that which one sets out to prove. This is a very common subliminal or unconscious behavior – one’s worldview has such certitude to oneself that one accidentally makes a presumption that everyone will share some element of it that is not a consensus view.