There is a well-documented cognitive bias that says that people see what they want to see and easily miss contradictory information. A particular type of cognitive bias is when a person suppresses information when it’s in their interest to remain ignorant. This type of cognitive bias is known as motivated blindness. Motivated blindness is frequently associated with unethical behavior.
The Catholic Church’s sex-abuse scandals, Bernie Madoff’s multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, and even the 2008 global financial meltdown have all one thing in common. For years the people in charge had motivated blindness and failed to notice critical information that could have limited the damage.
