Did you know your brain is so good at finding patterns that it can sometimes make up ones that don’t exist?

This is the result of a Cognitive Bias called Magical Thinking, which refers to the tendency of the human brain to make associations between unrelated events.

Many of the most common examples come from the realm of superstition, but there is a very real reason our brains work this way and it has to do with why humans have survived as long as we have.  [Read more…]

Hindsight is 20/20. You’ve heard that phrase a lot, but did you know it is based on a fluke in how your brain thinks about the past?

Hindsight bias is a Cognitive Bias where the human brain tends to see events in the past as more predictable than they actually were at the time. In short, when we think about something that has already happened we tend to believe the outcome was obvious.

Read on to learn why and to see some hindsight bias examples.

[Read more…]

Did you know your brain is a yes-man, telling you only what you want to hear?

This is caused by Confirmation Bias, which is a Cognitive Bias that refers to the tendency of the human brain to filter out information that contradicts its existing beliefs.

It causes us to seek out information that shows we are right and avoid anything that disagrees.

In short, we see the world as we want to see it, not as it is, and we miss opportunities for growth as a result. Read on to see some confirmation bias examples as well as tips for avoiding it. [Read more…]