We all have some or other Biases that we have developed either consciously or subconsciously over the time. It feels so normal to have these biases because everyone has them, it’s so common but we don’t realize how harmful they are to us.
Below are the list of Biases and ways to get rid of them:
1) Confirmation Bias – closed to other people’s believes and opinions.
How to Break the Bias:
# Question yourself and the situation, look from multiple angles.
# Don’t be surrounded by yes people, bring diversity in the group of people you hang out.
2) Post-purchase rationalization Bias – when you have invested a lot of time/money/effort into a product/project/person that you refuse to accept that it is a mistake/useless/not right for you. Once you have lied to yourself, you keep repeating this pattern and making similar mistakes. How to Break the Bias:
# Acknowledge the mistakes the moment you realize it.
3) Probability Paradox Bias – stress and pressure about the things that not be true. When you focus on ‘what if’ rather than ‘what is’.
How to Break the Bias:
# Gather right information/facts.
# Focus on ‘what is’ rather than ‘what if’.
4) Selection Bias – we see more of what we seek. When you look for negative people/thoughts you find negative people/thoughts.
How to Break the Bias:
# Select your thoughts carefully.
5) Status Quo Bias – trying to keep things the same.
How to Break the Bias:
# Feel more comfortable with change, make small changes daily to get comfortable with change.
6) Negativity Bias – we are programmed to spot danger and amplify it.
How to Break the Bias:
# choosing growth based content to read/watch/hear. It doesn’t mean read something positive but read/watch something action/solution-based. The opposite of negativity isn’t positivity; the opposite of negativity is action/ momentum.
7) Projection Bias – we think that people think/act/react like we do. We reflect our standards onto others and then feel disappointed if they don’t match it.
How to Break the Bias:
# Clarifying perspective and expectations at an early stage. Don’t assume everyone thinks like the way you do.
8) Short-term gratification Bias – doing things that make you happy now but the aftermath doesn’t look good.
How to Break the Bias:
# Think long term while making a decision.
9) Sunk cost Bias – you made an investment of money or time into something that you feel obliged to stick it through even if you don’t want to.
How to Break the Bias:
# Look at the facts, removing emotion from the equation. It’s the emotion that stops you from making a rational decision.