Critical Thinking And Action Taking, Part One

Recognizing Cognitive Traps and Heuristics

Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

In April 2020, when the lockdowns lasted for more than two weeks, a group of us started meeting at a local health store to discuss the impact of the lockdowns and mask mandates. Initially, we shared ideas about the pandemic, but soon, we began to discuss “conspiracies” as we were trying to make sense of the situation and understand the world around us.

In many conversations with our group, a close acquaintance once said:

“You know, within the conspiracy group, we all can admit that there’s a so-called New World Order and that this pandemic isn’t what it’s made to be. But the one thing I fear is that within the conspiracy group, there’s this undying support for Israel that doesn’t even look at the Zionist aspect of the country…”

This was back in 2020, and if we flash forward to 2023 with the recent conflict in the Middle East, we can see the truth to this statement. So many individuals who have become aware of conspiracies like the vaccines or the pandemic fail to apply that same level of diligence to Israel. The question is, why? The short answer is due to the bias that Israel holds in the minds of many.

So that’s what this article will be about today: Biases. 

In the best-selling book, “Thinking Fast and Slow,” author Daniel Kahneman studies the science of decision-making and how we think. Essentially, we make decisions in two ways:

• Fast (System 1): Where we rely on our experiences, biases, and heuristics.

• Slow (System 2): Where we take our time, collect data, and analyze information. 

90% of the time, we look at the world and make decisions via fast thinking. The problem with quick thinking is that we can’t tell the difference between our intuition and biases, also known as heuristics. And so, in this article, we will explore some of the heuristics discussed in the book “Thinking Fast and Slow.” We will leverage GPT-4 to highlight these heuristics, and I will provide my own insights to help readers understand how we can apply them in our daily lives.

I recommend reading the entire article because I will be discussing in another article how we can question our own heuristics. This is essential to differentiate between intuition and biases. This is precisely why I wrote my article “How to Use Your Brain.” Once we learn to distinguish between the two, we can be more mindful of our biases and make informed and thoughtful decisions.

And then, I’ll close this three part-piece on what I’ve called “the six steps to productivity.” Once we can identify the biases and remove them, how can we then begin to take action in this world that gets us to our goals and dreams? This is all part of how we defeat the bad guys and how we can live a life worth living.

So, without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy the read.

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What Are Heuristics?

Let’s start by properly defining the term “heuristic.” From GPT-4, we read:

• Heuristics are simple, efficient rules that people use to form judgments and make decisions. They are mental [pathways] that usually involve focusing on one aspect of a complex problem and ignoring others. Heuristics are mental shortcuts that help us make quick decisions, but they can also lead to biases and errors.

• The concept of heuristics is based on the idea that our brain has two systems of thinking: system 1 and system 2². System 1 is fast, unconscious, automatic, and effortless. It relies on heuristics to assess situations and deliver updates. System 2 is slow, deliberate, conscious, and effortful. It seeks new or missing information and makes decisions.

• According to Daniel Kahneman, the author of Thinking, Fast and Slow³, system 1 and system 2 often work together, but sometimes they conflict or disagree. System 1 can send suggestions to system 2, which then turns them into beliefs. However, system 2 can also override or correct system 1 if it detects errors or inconsistencies.

To recap, Heuristics helps us come up with solutions fast and efficiently. However, they can lead to biases, which can ultimately lead to errors in our thinking, judgment, and ultimately our actions. Let’s look at some common heuristics and see how they play a role in our modern world.

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Different Types Of Heuristics

There are many different types of heuristics that we inhabit. Still, I’m going to focus on the main ones because once we know the concept of how these heuristics work, we can become more critical of our thinking and how we quickly come to judgment. One thing to consider is that our way of thinking has been indoctrinated for centuries, so essentially, we’ve been given a specific way to think and view the world.

Recommended Reading: They Would Never Do That

Recommended Reading: Who Are The Bad Guys, Part One

So, as we work towards changing the old way of thinking and the old narrative, it behooves us to be aware of those ways of thinking, and to start, we’re going look at one of the most prominent heuristics, the anchoring heuristic.

From GPT-4, we read the following:

• Anchoring heuristic: the tendency to rely too much on the first piece of information that is given when making estimates or judgments.

  • For example, people may be influenced by the initial price of a product when negotiating or comparing alternatives, even if the initial price is irrelevant or arbitrary.

This heuristic is evident throughout all aspects of reality, and it relies strongly on the power of narrative. If I can tell you the story first, you are more likely to believe my information simply because I’ve told you first. This heuristic is behind the concept of mandatory education because if I can educate a populace early, I can form how they see the world.

PS: I devote an entire chapter to education in my book, An Unorthodox Truth. Here’s the link to where you can order the book:

This is why our newspapers no longer worry about getting the correct information; rather, they worry about getting the information to you first; it doesn’t matter if it gets proven wrong later. This is also why ideologies get grouped together. For example, #FreePalestine is synonymous with #IstandwithHamas. Another is #LBG, #Trans, and Children's Education. Anchoring leads to polarization because when multiple ideologies merge into one, individuals immediately become anchored in that way of thinking, instead of thinking critically to separate the nuances.

Unfortunately, anchoring is closely followed by the next heuristic, known as the availability heuristic.

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