Step One of Rational Thinking: Recognize the Biases

Question 1

Confirmation Bias

Answer 1

I look at the evidence and arrive at my decision through more or less rational processes.
Because of the pleasure principal and its unconscious influence, we manage to find evidence that confirms what we want to believe.

Question 2

Describe the Pleasure Principle

Answer 2

Emotions are continually affecting our thought process and decisions, below the level of our awareness. And the most common emotion of all of them is the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Our thoughts almost inevitably revolve around this desire.

Question 3

Conviction Bias

Answer 3

I believe in this idea so strongly. It must be true.
This bias is revealed even more clearly in our relationship to leaders—if they express an opinion with heated words and gestures, colorful metaphors and entertaining anecdotes, and a deep well of conviction, it must mean they have examined the idea carefully to express it with such certainty.

Question 4

Appearance Bias

Answer 4

I understand the people I deal with; I see them just as they are.

We see people not as they are, but as they pure to us.
People have trained themselves in social situations to present the front that is appropriate and that will be judged positively. We take these masks for reality.
We are also prone to fall for the halo effect—when we see certain negative or positive qualities in a person (social awkwardness, intelligence), other positive or negative qualities are implied that fit with this.

Question 5

The Group Bias

Answer 5

My ideas are my own. I do not listen to the group. I am not a conformist.

We are social animals by nature. The feeling of isolation, of difference from the group, is depressing and terrifying. We are unaware of this pull and so imagine we have come to certain ideas completely on our own.

Question 6

The Blame Bias

Answer 6

I learned from my experience and mistakes.

Mistakes and failures illicit the need to explain. We want to learn the lesson and not repeat the experience. But in truth, we do not like to look too closely at what we did; our introspection is limited. Our natural response is to blame others, circumstances, or a momentary lapse and judgment. The reason for this bias is that it is often too painful to look at our mistakes. We go through the motions, pretending to reflect on what we did. But with the passage of time, the pleasure principle rises and we forget what small part in the mistake we ascribed to ourselves.

Question 7

Superiority Bias

Answer 7

I’m different. I’m more rational than others, more ethical as well.

We cannot seem to see our faults and irrationality, only those of others. On the ethical front, few of us will ever admit that we have resorted to deception or manipulation in our work or have been clever and strategic in our career advancement. Everything we’ve got, so we think, comes from natural talent and hard work. But with other people, we are quick to ascribe to them all kinds of Machiavellian tactics. This allows us to justify whatever we do, no matter the result.

Question 8

Name the Mental Biases

Answer 8

Confirmation Bias
Conviction Bias
Appearance Bias
The Group Bias
The Blame Bias
Superiority Bias

Question 9

Name the Mental Biases

Answer 9

Confirmation Bias
Conviction Bias
Appearance Bias
The Group Bias
The Blame Bias
Superiority Bias

Question 10

What is the source of all our biases?

Answer 10

The pleasure principle in thinking.

We imagine we are looking for the truth, or being realistic, when in fact we are holding on to ideas that bring release from tension and soothe our egos, make us feel superior.