Naive Realism

What is it?

Naive realism, studied by social psychologist Lee Ross, is the conviction that we perceive the world objectively, without bias—that our views reflect reality as it truly is. It comprises three assumptions: I see reality objectively; reasonable people will agree with me once they see the facts; those who disagree are either uninformed, irrational, or biased. This creates a framework where disagreement becomes evidence of others' deficiencies rather than legitimate alternative perspectives. Naive realism is particularly damaging in conflicts, where each side believes they see the situation clearly and the other side is distorted by bias or bad faith. It undermines negotiation and compromise: if I'm objectively right, why should I move toward an objectively wrong position? In organizations, it leads to dismissing valid feedback, assuming dissent reflects ignorance rather than different information or values, and escalating conflicts. The antidote is cultivating epistemic humility—recognizing that our perceptions are constructions influenced by our experiences, values, and cognitive processes, not direct windows to reality. Techniques include actively seeking to understand how situations look from others' perspectives, asking "what might I be missing?" and assuming people who disagree may have good reasons.