<aside> ⭐ Cognitive Bias Codex is a handy tool that organizes biases in a meaningful way; however, it is worth pointing out that the codex lists heuristics and biases both as biases. If you decide to rely on this codex, then keep in mind the distinction between heuristics and biases, which described below.

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Table of Contents

What Should We Remember?

Too Much Information

Not Enough Meaning

Need To Act Fast

Wikipedia’s list of cognitive biases, grouped into categories. Category model by Buster Benson.

We are often presented with situations in life when we need to make a decision with imperfect information, and we unknowingly rely on prejudices or biases.

For example, we might:

• Trust someone more if they’re an authority figure than if they’re not
• Assume someone’s gender based on their profession
• Make poor decisions based on the information that we’re given

The reasons for our poor decision making can be a consequence of heuristics and biases.

<aside> ⚠️ A bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Some biases are positive and helpful—like choosing to only eat foods that are considered healthy or staying away from someone who has knowingly caused harm. But biases are often based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. Whether positive or negative, such cognitive shortcuts can result in prejudgments that lead to rash decisions or discriminatory practices.

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