# 1.1a - The more we are invested, the stronger the confirmation bias
Source: #books/decisive, #books/happinesshypothesis

Once invested in a position, our reasoning becomes "motivated reasoning", we think like a lawyer defending a client rather than a scientist seeking truth.

**How it works:**
- We selectively look for information that supports our position
- We dismiss or attack information that contradicts it
- Our brain confabulates reasons until everything "makes sense"
- We stop looking once we've justified our position

**Why it happens:**
Similar to the sunk cost fallacy, once we've invested time, money, or ego into something, we keep pouring in resources. We feel losses more strongly than wins, so we search for reasons to continue rather than admit we were wrong.

The more our identity is tied to an idea, the stronger this effect becomes.

**Example:**
> After choosing SQLite for a project, it becomes nearly impossible to fairly evaluate other databases—even better ones. The deadline pressure makes this worse, creating both a practical constraint and a convenient excuse to avoid reconsidering the decision.
