mental health | psychology

How Cognitive Biases Shape Our Reality

Why our minds aren’t always reliable (and what we can do about it)

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Every day, we make hundreds of decisions. Some are big, some small. And without even realizing it, our brain takes shortcuts, these shortcuts are called cognitive biases.

They’re meant to help. But sometimes, they trick us.

What Exactly Is a Cognitive Bias?

A cognitive bias is like a glitch in our thinking. It leads us to see the world in a way that feels right but isn’t always true.

For example:

• Confirmation bias makes us notice the information that agrees with what we already believe and ignore the rest.

Example: You read that Virgos are perfectionists. So whenever you got anxious about getting things “just right,” You’d think, “See? That’s such a Virgo thing,” instead of considering that maybe anyone can feel that way sometimes.

• Negativity bias makes bad experiences feel louder and more important than good ones.