Sharpen your pencils and take a seatBullshit Resistance Schoolis in session.
But lets flip that around.
Their experience is not proof that you will have the same experience.
Deep down, you know this.
But this person is your friend.
How could you go wrong by believing their story?
Blame It on Cognitive Bias
We take shortcuts in our thinking.
Thats not because were lazy, but because were smart.
(Is itreally7 am?
So we put a lot of our thought processes on autopilot.
The strategies that keep us sane are ourcognitive biases.
If most things fit, but a few things dont, we reject the outliers.
You dont throw out your model that tells you youre in your usual house in your usual yard.
We miss a lot when we rely on anecdotes.
and less maybe its not.
Theres no way for your friend to step back and get that objectivity.
What worked for me might be totally wrong for you.
What happened to everybody else?Think of those weight-loss ads that say Results not typical in fine print.
Maybe a bunch of peoplegainedweight.
But they pick the person who lost the most, and based the commercial around them.
Because anecdotes have these flaws, we cant draw robust conclusions from them.
Instead, its important to look at the science as a whole.
The flu shot isnt perfect, but itsbenefits outweigh its risks.
Yogasometimes helps with back pain, but its not a cure-all.
You shouldnt blurt out Youre wrong!
every time somebody asks if youve tried yoga.
So, believe your friend about their own feelings and experiences.
If they used to feel sick, but now they tell you that theyre doing better, thats great!
Congratulate and support them.
After all, theyre the expert on how they feel.
But that doesnt mean you should conclude that if yoga helped them, it will help you.
If someone has a story of personal experience,andbacks that up with a study, tread especially carefully.
They all cite studies, and they all have conclusions that disagree with each other.
Check out the claims by looking at sources you know to be unbiased.
