A couple of years ago, I posted a link to an article which said that the essence of wisdom is strong opinions, weakly held.

Tyler Cowen points to an article from the New York Times which says essentially the same thing in a different way. It explains that most people who claim to be undecided really aren’t and that more importantly, not recognizing your own subconscious leanings makes you more captive to your own biases.

Here’s the money quote:

Scientists have long known that subtle biases can skew evaluations of an issue or candidate in ways people are not aware of. But the new study, appearing Thursday in the journal Science, suggests that professed neutrality leaves people more vulnerable to their inherent biases than choosing sides early.

So take a position, even if you’re not completely convinced, and then carefully evaluate that position. You’re more likely to arrive at a better answer than if you ride the fence.