Episode 124: Motivated Reasoning

The Daily Discipline from Project MNDST · Aug 21, 2026 · 2m

Today's episode teaches motivated reasoning — psychologist Ziva Kunda's insight that when we want a conclusion to be true, we don't drop our logic, we turn it into a hired advocate. We look at where that plays out, from coffee drinkers rating health studies to the institutional pressures before the Challenger disaster, and how to catch yourself doing it before a decision is already made. The one small action today: write down the strongest honest case for the side of a current decision you don't want to be right — just one paragraph — and read it as if someone you respect wrote it. Key…