Our minds are incredibly powerful. They’ve enabled us to light up the world, land on the Moon, and develop cutting-edge healing technologies like the Med Bed — a device that uses energy, plasma, and quantum fields to diagnose and regenerate the body at a cellular level. Innovations like these may help us live longer, healthier lives.
But even with all this brilliance, our minds aren’t perfect. They often mislead us, making us overlook details or make poor decisions. This is due to cognitive biases — mental shortcuts influenced by our experiences, social pressures, and other factors that distort how we see and interpret the world.
These biases aren’t just harmless quirks. They can create serious problems on both individual and collective levels.
In Greek mythology, the mind’s unpredictable nature is symbolized by Hermes — the swift God’s messenger, protector of travelers, merchants, and tricksters. Like Hermes, our minds dart quickly from one idea to the next, sometimes leading us (or others) astray, often without us even realizing it.
Want to uncover how your mind might be fooling you? Let’s explore the fascinating world of cognitive biases.
Here are six common cognitive biases and how they influence us:
1. Selective Perception Bias
Our mind does not process everything we see — it filters what it considers important and ignores the rest.
Think of it like going through your emails. You probably notice messages from key clients, important projects, or loved ones, while skipping others that seem less relevant. This filtering helps protect us from information overload, but it also means we can miss crucial details. Have you ever realized you overlooked something important simply because your mind didn’t think it mattered at the time?
Selective perception can also explain why you suddenly start noticing things more often. For example, after researching or buying a new car, you might feel like you see that model everywhere. It’s not that there are suddenly more of them — your mind has just shifted focus.
2. Distorted Perception Bias
Not only that our mind filters information, it also distorts it. Imagine reading a message on a stressful day. Your mind may immediately interpret it as an accusation. But getting back to it when the pressure is off, you may realize it was not accusatory at all.
Responding in frustration might lead to misunderstandings or damage your relationships. Thus, read the messages twice before reacting, and if you do face criticism, cool down before replying. Acting from anger is never a sign of strength. In contrary, it demonstrates a weakness.
3. Acknowledgement Bias
We naturally prefer people who share our opinions and values. These “allies” seem smarter and more capable, while those with different views can be ignored or avoided. This bias can lead to an “us versus them” mindset, forming cliques within teams or even shaping international alliances.
Instead of working together, opposing groups often waste energy trying to prove each other wrong. This distracts from their actual goals.
By recognizing this bias, we can create a culture that encourages constructive dialogue and cooperation.
4. Expectation Bias
Our expectations shape outcomes. In the late 1960s, the Rosenthal-Jacobson experiment demonstrated this with schoolchildren, who were put into three groups and asked to do a test of the same complexity. First group was labeled as gifted and were told that they are expected to perform the best. The second group was told nothing and the third group of children was told that their cognitive capabilities were low, and that they are not expected to perform well.
As expected, those labeled as “gifted” performed the best, while those with low expectations achieved the worst results. This “Pygmalion Effect” shows that high expectations can boost performance, while low expectations can hinder it.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or manager, your expectations (expressed verbally and energetically) influence those around you. If you expect little from someone, they’re likely to meet that low bar. But by offering encouragement, you can inspire confidence and motivation.
5. Status Quo Bias
Change can be daunting, even when we know our current situation isn’t ideal. We hesitate to leave an unfulfilling job, fearing the next one could be worse. In organizations, employees often resist reforms, worried about potential negative impacts. In politics, voters frequently choose continuity over change, afraid that shaking things up might make things worse.
This “better the devil you know” mindset can trap us in routines that limit our potential and stifle growth. But real progress comes from daring to step outside our comfort zones and embracing the uncertainty of new opportunities.
Growth and transformation await those brave enough to face the unknown.
6. A Bias related to Present Moment
We often choose short-term pleasure over long-term rewards. Dieting, exercising, or starting a new project gets postponed to “tomorrow” — which, as the saying goes, is the busiest day of the week. Or, as a Chinese proverb puts it: “Tomorrow, tomorrow… and life slips away.”
This habit keeps us stuck in the same routines. Without short-term sacrifices, future goals remain out of reach, trapping us in a cycle of missed potential.
In a world full of distractions and limited time, staying focused is harder than ever. Recognizing these mental biases is the first step to overcoming them.
Stay tuned for my next article, where I’ll dive into more mind tricks and cognitive distortions that shape our lives.
Written by: Egli Ilic
