Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts where the brain simplifies large amounts of information for us to make quick decisions, however, it can lead to us acting in irrational ways. Whilst our intuition is often very useful, it may cause us to make a wrong choice or come to an inaccurate conclusion.
Whilst some may believe they have "cognitive bias immunity" , which allows individuals to recognise and overcome cognitive biases that influence decision-making, no one is immune to them. Although everyone is susceptible to cognitive biases, being aware and trying to overcome them will have a positive impact on ourselves and others.
A common cognitive bias is the confirmation bias, which leads us to prefer listening to information that confirms our existing beliefs rather than being open to new viewpoints. Whilst social media can be a great way to find out various opinions regarding a certain topic, many tend to only follow people with a shared viewpoint. The ignorance of other views is often because of a desire to increase one's self-esteem by believing they are right, though this can lead to poor decisions to be made such as acting intolerantly with others.
In order to tackle confirmation bias, we should be open to varied opinions, whether it is from people close to us or people we have never met on social media, and we should try our best to think logically with consideration of all known factors before drawing to a conclusion upon a topic.
Furthermore, we are all impacted by the ambiguity effect in which we tend to pick an option where we are certain of a positive outcome, rather than an option where a good outcome is ambiguous. For instance, when visiting a restaurant many may choose to order something they have previously had as they already know they liked it rather than trying something new, although there may have been other benefits from choosing another product such as saving money.
Rather than sticking to our comfort zones, the ambiguity effect can be tackled by making decisions with curiosity in mind rather than fear of a negative outcome, as well as being aware not all choices have a clear good or bad outcome, though we can learn from the past.
Additionally, a common cognitive bias is the optimism bias. Although having a positive mindset is vital in making decisions confidently, being overly optimistic can have negative effects and cause underestimation of a negative outcome.
Optimism bias can lead to people taking risks with the belief that they will be lucky and not suffer consequences. To combat this, one should try their best to take into account both positive and negative factors before making a decision.
Tackling cognitive biases is something everyone can attempt to do, though it is not a simple task. Predicting a good or bad outcome is not always something we will know but it is vital to try and have a growth mindset so we are more confident in decisions we make.