Common Thinking: The way we think is not always as clear as the crystals. We tend to believe that our decisions are based on objective information and events that we have experienced. As humans, we believe that we make a rational judgment, but it is not always the truth. Our thoughts are often less understanding and irrational. In this article, we are going to read about 9 common thinking biases and ways to overcome them.
9 Common Thinking Biases and Ways to Overcome Them
Confirmation Bias
This thinking bias refers to the notion of people paying more attention to people and ideas they have agreed on in the past. If you want to overcome this thinking bias, you have to have a different range of individuals to chat with. A ranger of personalities, would not let you think from a confirmation bias thought process as it would avoid group thinking.
Outcome Bias
We see this thinking bias in sports: if you win then the decision-making was good and if you lose, the decision was bad. People tend to address the worth of decisions based on the outcome. It is best to take a decision based on the information you had during that time and not the potential result. The reason is the outcome of any decision can be random. It is not predictable all the time, as it depends on several different variables. Take time to reflect on all things that you know and think about how would deal with it if it was a different time.
Negativity Bias
If someone tells you, “You’re a good student but your suggestions are stupid.” You are most likely to remember the negative aspect of the statement for a longer period. It is because we have trained to pay attention to the negative things. The reason behind this could be when we are aware of the negative aspect of something we can keep away from it. Try to focus on the good things that have happened and obliterate the discouraging unhelpful thoughts.
The Ikea Effect
It is certainly named after the Swedish department store. The store demands you to spend hours and hours assembling your flat-pack furniture. Most of us have this effect where we place a high value on things that we create. To make it simple, if someone had an idea and they have worked on that concept. They cling to the notion that it must be a good concept. However, you cannot live in a bubble for too long. Just because you made it, doesn’t make it a genius work. You can take criticism and move on to always create something better than that.
The Hawthorne Effect
The name of this effect originated from an experiment at The Hawthorne Factory. The factory management was curious to find out how their employees could be more productive. When the workers were observed and watched, their productivity rate increased. On the contrary, when they were out of notice, their productivity went back to normal. Try to make your presence as subtle and discreet as possible.
The Halo Effect
The Halo effect explains how your overall impression of a person is influenced by your first opinion of them or a single part of their character. If a student obtains an A in their first essay exam, they are assumed to have high potential and thus, would anticipate them to gain similar accomplishments in the future. Try not to make any conclusions too soon. Don’t see things just in black or white.
The Bandwagon Effect
This effect is about how you are going to believe a notion because a lot of other people believe it. For this reason, road signs specify what percentage of the population drives at the suggested speed limit, and not how many drive over it. Listen to your gut in case you have doubts. Try to ask yourself what you would be your perspective about the topic if you didn’t know anyone else’s.
The Dunning Kruger Effect
This is perhaps the most frustrating thinking bias on the list. Dunning Kruger Effect depicts how amateurish people overvalue their ability, whereas skilled ones tend to doubt themselves. The distinction is easy to make, experts are often comfortable talking about their limitations. Take time to reflect on your work and actions. See learning things as a way to grow. Challenge your beliefs and things you already know. Change your thought process and learn from the feedback.
Planning Fallacy
The planning fallacy is our incapability to estimate the required duration for the completion of a task. One classic example, students tend to believe that they can complete a syllabus within a few days until they realize they could have not wasted their time. This common thinking bias is one of the possible causes of why so many of us tend to procrastinate. The only way to overcome this is to set your priorities straight, start earlier, and give it more time than you believe is required.
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