The Most Beautiful Thought

What is the most beautiful, most compelling, most fulfilling, most comforting thought in the world? It seems like a tough question, but it’s simple. It doesn’t have to do with the beauty of a sunrise, the cooing of a baby, the loyalty of a dog, or any of the other thoughts preserved in paintings, poetry or literature.

 

No, the most beautiful thought in the world is: “Aha, I was right all along!” This explains so much contemporary behavior. It explains the difficulty of getting people to change their minds in a host of situations. It also explains the reluctance of people to do research to find more evidence when they have already determined what they are sure is the right answer, knowing it's right because it supports their firm beliefs and opinions. It happens in interpersonal situations, like family squabbles, but, with the rise of social media, it is most notable in politics.

 

This is certainly not a new phenomenon. A notable example of this happened early in the century with the George W. Bush misquote desk calendars for sale at many bookstores. People who voted against him, could be filled with delight every morning as they tore off a page to see another verbal gaffe made by the president – delight at knowing, “Aha, I was right all along, he’s not smart enough to be president.” On the other side of the aisle, pictures of Joe Biden being flagged down and turned in right direction by the “Easter Bunny” during the Easter egg hunt on the White House lawn likewise filled his detractors with delight. “Of course he's not competent. Who’s running the country?” And Donald Trump takes the cake in terms of the preconceived love/hate emotional reactions. Both parties wanting to have been “right all along” about his virtues on one hand and his dishonesty on the other.

 

The same attitude prevails around controversial topics like man-made climate change, the origin and handling by government experts of COVID-19, nuclear power generation, data centers and so many other issues. People plant their figurative flags and express their firm opinions. If they look more deeply into the matter, there is the unwelcome possibility of having to admit defeat, back down and feel embarrassed. The favored alternative is to ignore any opposing fact or argument, no matter how firm, while continuing the search for supporting data or supporting expert opinions for their side, all in an effort to maintain that comforting feeling of being right all along.

 

How familiar does this sound? Does it not explain the constant bickering on Facebook and X – bickering that never settles the matter but rather encourages each party to “go back to their corner” and rest up until the bell sounds for another round? Does this not highlight the futility of ranting on social media (or at the dining room table at Thanksgiving), expecting to change someone’s mind? It’s as effective as throwing a bucket of cold water on someone and expecting them to thank you.

 

The mind is influenced by a number of factors including emotions, pattern recognition from past experience, familiarity and learned associations. As a result, early decisions or choices are often formed by a fast-thinking process, a gut reaction that forces conclusions and leaves our ability to express our reasoning unable to catch up. In so many cases, we decide first and then look for supporting evidence to help explain, a habit designed to make us look like our conscious mind is in control, to make us look rational. All done automatically; and all done with the understandable payoff of having the most beautiful thought, “I was right all along.”