1Human beings like to believe that all of their decisions are careful and completely rational.
2In reality, the human mind relies heavily on mental shortcuts that frequently lead us astray.
3One famous example is confirmation bias, our stubborn habit of seeking only evidence that supports us.
4We eagerly accept information that agrees with our views and quickly dismiss all the rest.
5Another shortcut, the anchoring effect, makes the very first number we hear feel strangely special.
6Shops exploit this tendency by showing an expensive item just before a merely pricey one.
7Loss aversion explains why losing one hundred dollars hurts far more than winning the same amount feels good.
8These biases evolved long ago to save time, yet they still distort our modern judgement.
9Simply knowing about these common biases does not make us immune to their quiet influence.
10Deliberately slowing down our thinking and inviting opposing views offers the best known defence against them.
11Better decisions always begin with the humility to question and doubt our own first impressions.