Theory Library
The psychology of belief and disagreement
Ten plain-English concepts that explain why sincere people reach opposite conclusions — and how those forces show up in every belief article.
Moral Foundations Theory
People weigh care, fairness, liberty, loyalty, authority, and sanctity differently — so the same situation can feel moral or immoral depending on which foundation leads.
Learn the concept →Motivated Reasoning
We reason toward the conclusions we want to reach, applying tough scrutiny to threatening evidence and easy acceptance to comforting evidence.
Learn the concept →Confirmation Bias
We notice, remember, and trust information that fits what we already believe, and overlook information that does not.
Learn the concept →Cognitive Dissonance
Holding two conflicting ideas feels uncomfortable, so we adjust a belief, a behavior, or our interpretation to restore consistency.
Learn the concept →Identity-Protective Cognition
We process information in ways that protect our standing in the groups we belong to, because belonging can matter more than being right.
Learn the concept →Sacred Values
Some values feel protected from trade-offs, so offering money or compromise can feel like an insult rather than a deal.
Learn the concept →In-Group and Out-Group Thinking
We extend trust and the benefit of the doubt to our group, and apply suspicion and harsher standards to outsiders.
Learn the concept →Media Framing
How a story is selected, ordered, and worded shapes which facts feel important and what conclusion feels natural.
Learn the concept →Trust and Authority
We cannot verify most claims ourselves, so what we believe depends heavily on which sources and institutions we trust.
Learn the concept →Steelmanning
Engaging the strongest, most sincere version of a belief — the opposite of attacking a weak caricature.
Learn the concept →Two Movies, One Screen
The same event can play as two different movies — people are often not disagreeing about what happened, but about the story that gives it meaning.
Learn the concept →