Facts vs. Feelings: Reasons to start Olave, bench Brown, and other Week 5 decisions

"Have you ever sensed something so deeply in your bones that it moved from being a hunch to unequivocal knowing? Maybe it started as a whisper (or a drumbeat) and slowly, over time, as you listened more closely and further investigated the circumstances, a fervent assuredness began to materialize. One that you could not be dissuaded from trusting, no matter how many people looked at you sideways or doubted your thought process. Your conclusion remained indubitable."

"Conversely, have you ever sat across from a friend who was similarly steadfast in a take that made your head spin? Not because you were compelled by passionate agreement, but because they sounded absolutely bananas? The sort of opinion that turned you into a "Blinking Guy" meme. One that made you question how someone you adore, and respect so fully could possibly review the data and arrive at such an out-of-pocket decision."

"The first we consider conviction. The second we dub delusion. The two live dangerously close to one another, seemingly separated only by perspective and ego. But there's more to it than that. True conviction is (or should be) borne out by an exhaustive amount of research. Acquired via fact-checking and dot-connecting, not stumbled upon like bumper sticker wisdom or, worse, a persuasive Insta. Delusion, on the other hand, appears the result of rosy-colored hearsay. A destination realized out of desire, rather than veracity."

Conviction emerges from exhaustive research, fact-checking, and connecting disparate data to form a reliable conclusion. Delusion springs from wishful thinking, hearsay, and desire rather than objective verification. Both conviction and delusion can feel emotionally identical, creating strong certainty that resists external doubt. True conviction functions as a bedrock for action because facts, evidence, and careful reasoning underpin decisions. Delusion leads to misguided certainty when conclusions reflect preference instead of veracity. Distinguishing between conviction and delusion requires rigorous investigation, skepticism of surface-level narratives, and awareness of cognitive biases that can produce false beliefs.

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