The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad

The Self-Serving Bias and Ostrich Parasitic Syndrome in Politics (The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad_882)

Sep 19, 2025
This conversation delves into the fascinating world of cognitive biases and political behavior. Dr. Gad Saad breaks down how human reasoning often skews towards winning arguments rather than seeking truth. He introduces the concept of 'ostrich parasitic syndrome,' highlighting our tendency to deny uncomfortable realities. Additionally, the self-serving bias is discussed, illustrating how it hampers genuine introspection and accountability. This insightful dialogue uncovers the psychological mechanisms behind political violence and ideological blindness.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Reasoning To Win, Not To Know

  • Human reasoning evolved to win arguments rather than to discover objective truth.
  • Gad Saad warns this makes people resistant to evidence that contradicts their beliefs.
ANECDOTE

Misattributing Terrorism To Other Causes

  • Saad gives a vivid example where terrorism is misattributed to climate change instead of ideology.
  • He uses this to illustrate how people replace obvious causes with ideologically convenient ones.
INSIGHT

Ostrich Parasitic Syndrome Explained

  • Ostrich parasitic syndrome describes ideological denial that resists reality.
  • Saad says parasitized minds ignore evidence and substitute unrelated explanations.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app