This was his advice to writers who struggled with cutting cherished but redundantsentences. Quiller-Couch’s appeal is not just for hesitant hacks, but for all of us who suffer from the deafening silence of assent. To fight against the confirmation bias, try writing down your beliefs-whether in terms of worldview, investment, marriage, healthcare, diet, career strategies and set out to find disconfirming evidence. Axeing beliefs that feel like old friends is hard work but imperative.