That is the title of this informative four-part series of blog posts in which Claire Hill discusses and illustrates various aspects of people’s prior beliefs (aka “priors”). Here is an excerpt from part one of the series:

They (people’s priors) help explain why there are so many debates that never get anywhere.  Both sides might have terrific arguments, yet nobody is persuaded. And people keep on making the same sorts of arguments, even knowing this. Sometimes they wonder why more people aren’t persuaded. It’s a bit like the old joke about the person who goes to a foreign country and doesn’t know the language, so he tries to communicate in his own language and, when he’s not understood, he just tries again, repeating what he said . . . but louder.

How often, if ever, do you update your priors?