We, humans, use a frame of reference constructed from integrated sets of assumptions, expectations and experiences.
Everything is perceived on the basis of this framework. The framework becomes self-confirming because, whenever we can,
we tend to impose it on experiences and events, creating incidents and relationships that conform to it. And we tend to
ignore, misperceive, or deny events that do not fit it. As a consequence, it generally leads us to what we are looking for.
This frame of reference is not easily altered or dismantled, because the way we tend to see the world is intimately linked
to how we see and define ourselves in relation to the world. Thus, we have a vested interest in maintaining consistency
because our own identity is at risk.
We, humans, use a frame of reference constructed from integrated sets of assumptions, expectations and experiences. Everything is perceived on the basis of this framework. The framework becomes self-confirming because, whenever we can, we tend to impose it on experiences and events, creating incidents and relationships that conform to it. And we tend to ignore, misperceive, or deny events that do not fit it. As a consequence, it generally leads us to what we are looking for. This frame of reference is not easily altered or dismantled, because the way we tend to see the world is intimately linked to how we see and define ourselves in relation to the world. Thus, we have a vested interest in maintaining consistency because our own identity is at risk.
--- Brian Authur, The Nature of Technology