If you're confused, you're probably seeing it clearly

We have an innate desire for things to fit into place, to make sense, to feel complete and absolute. So much so, that our brains naturally filter or overlook conflicting information and seek validating information (see "confirmation bias") and we want to be right so we do our best to see things that way. When we don't have all of the information, our brains fill in the gaps for us (see Banaji and Greenwald's "Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People"). Those gaps aren't filled by the conflicting ideas but rather space holders consistent with our existing mind-set.

These are well-known characteristics of how the brain works and smart people (advertisers, politicians, etc.) use it to their advantage. They play on what we already believe to be true and often tell us what we want to hear. This presents a challenge for us attempting to move through the world as conscious objective thinkers as it is impossible to ever fully understand absolute truth - every idea and situation is skewed by our unique perspective and interpretation. So when something doesn't seem quite right or we are confused, rather than something actually being amiss, it is likely that we are seeing things more clearly and it simply doesn't fit into our skewed framework. Therefore, we need to question everything and invite the unfamiliar.

While it may feel unfamiliar, our feelings of disequilibrium mean we are increasingly closer to internalizing new information. But at first, it can feel a little unsettling - to take information we already believe to be true, experience new information that conflicts, and try to make it all fit together. It's uncomfortable at first, and that's okay. Progress often feels a lot like discomfort.

Where in your life are you encountering conflicting information? Understanding the current political climate? Confronting your biases? Spend a little time in that discomfort.  If you feel a little uneasy or a little confused, you're probably just seeing it clearly.