Incentives shape belief more than evidence does.

Most people like to think their opinions are grounded in objective truth. But more often, we believe things because they serve us. They help us fit in, feel good, or get paid.

I once had a job with strong financial incentives to sell a service. I didn’t just pitch it—I believed in it. I told people it was good for the ecosystem, found arguments to back it up, and felt aligned with the work. However, when I left the job, my conviction vanished.

Looking back, I wasn’t lying. I believed what I was saying, but only because the belief benefited me. I wasn’t searching for truth. I was working backward from the conclusion I wanted, then gathering reasons to justify it.

Society likes to shame selfishness as a moral flaw, but everyone is selfish to some extent. The real problem is being blind to your bias. You can’t escape self-interest, but you can learn to see where it’s steering you and call it out when you do.