The book’s vocabulary

Shopping for agreement

When the survey becomes a search for justification.

From The World That Agrees With You2 sections of the book1 related post

The moment reading turns into collecting support: you keep looking, and you accept only the parts that justify the conclusion you walked in with. The survey has become a search for justification, perhaps without your noticing the change.

An assistant makes this easier than ever — the explanation can be composed while you ask for it, revised when you object, and delivered in the tone you find most persuasive.

Definition from The World That Agrees With You: Understanding and Managing Sycophancy in the Age of AI, by Timothy O’Brien. © 2026 Timothy O’Brien. All rights reserved.

In the book

See also