Overconfidence happens to all of us. Ever have a plan that just couldn’t go wrong? And then you get a kick in the butt. Ever know that something must be true, only to find out later that you had it backwards? Overconfidence is when you think you are more likely to be right than you actually ...
Thinking and Deciding
Our world is increasingly complex and demanding. It’s not enough to rely on simple rules-of-thumb to navigate life, as they leave you vulnerable to undue influence and cognitive bias.
By building your skills for thinking and deciding, you can adopt more effective ways to reason through critical situations. In this category, we write about creative and critical thinking, as well as ways you can make better decisions.
Read all about thinking & deciding here.
Confirmation Bias: 3 Effective (and 3 Ineffective) Cures
Confirmation bias is a fancy way of describing our human inclination to see what we want to see. In other words, we like to look for and interpret information in ways that confirm our expectations. The language makes it sound like confirmation bias is something only scientists can be afflicted ...
Critical Thinking in Decision Making
Critical thinking is often talked about as a stand-alone activity. Like some other individual activities, thinking critically may just feel good. Yet, critical thinking seems most useful when it aids other cognitive processes, such as applying critical thinking in decision making. Anne Helsdingen ...
Do You Struggle with Indecisiveness? Maybe it’s in Your Culture
Indecisiveness is bad. Indecisive politicians are a bunch of wishy-washy flip-floppers. Decisive entrepreneurs grow great businesses (or at least fail spectacularly while trying). If a decision is a commitment to a course of action, then “indecision” is a failure to commit. Indecisiveness ...
What if Pigs Really Could Fly? Get Creative to Predict Future Events
Thinking through incredible scenarios can be productive if you’re writing a fiction story. But, surely it won't help you predict future events? Or, will it? Research has shown that thinking about outcomes you believe to be unlikely, yet possible can help you anticipate things to come. When we ...