Cognitive Biases

We have all these shortcuts that we have developed over the centuries, or rather millennia. They serve as heuristics for fast decision making, but frankly, they are preventing us from seeing the world, and others as they are. They distort what we see, what we process, what we remember and keep in mind when making any decision (and by decision I do NOT mean the result of rational deliberation, as most of our decisions are unconscious). Sometimes they serve us really well (there must have been a reason for us developing them), and sometimes they blind us, sidetrack us, and lead us astray.

WIth all that bad side effects, should we get rid of them? That is a wishful and naive thinking. We cannot get rid of them. The best we can do is be AWARE of them, and with enough thoughtfulness, that can mitigate their potential damage.

I am posting here the famous codex of cognitive biases. I am planning to discuss each and every of them as the days of pandemic go by (and I have a lot more time on my hand). Link to the codex is here.