This is a Lexicon entry: the mechanism, when it shows up, and the countermeasure. The full correction, with real-world cases and the audit prompt, hasn't been written yet.
Definition
The tendency to continue supporting past ideas or actions even when presented with evidence that they were wrong.
When it shows up
Public statements, signed contracts, large investments, visible stances. Any position where changing would reveal the earlier commitment as wrong.
Failure mode
Prior commitment to a position creates pressure to interpret new evidence as consistent with it. The evaluator is not weighing evidence cleanly; they are protecting a prior self. The more public or costly the commitment, the stronger the pull.
Countermeasure
Make commitments you can revise gracefully. Reserve the right to update publicly: 'Based on what I thought, here is what I said. Based on what I know now, here is what I think.' Build a record of updating.
Related concepts
Also connected in the mapPlan Continuation Bias·The Sunk Cost Fallacy·Choice-Supportive Bias·Cognitive Dissonance·Moral Licensing·The Narcissist’s Prayer·Identity-Based Habits·Face-Saving Behavior
Origin
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Entry #92 of 631 in The Lexicon · see the full Lexicon