How can you overcome self-deception and confirmation bias in self-assessment?

In my experience, measuring my results against my perception can potentially help me see my bias. If I am struggling in one area where others have succeeded before, it is time to question my belief. All blame and excuses when I don't get what I want are also signs of self-deception.

Here are some steps to recognize your biases: 1. Learn about biases by researching the different type of biases that usually affect human behaviour. 2. Reflect on your opinions and beliefs. Write them down and see what comes out strongly. 3. Ask for feedback from people around you. 4. Notice your emotional responses to the feedback, but also in general to people and situations. 5. Make an effort to consider multiple perspectives on issues. 6. Challenge yourself and your assumptions. 7. Examine your decision-making process. 8. Stay open to change and new perspectives. 9. Regularly review & reflect.

One of the easiest ways to identify the biases is to check for the statements that have generalizations! For example: I am always.... I am never... I can never... Everytime I do this... (you can complete the statement) These are some of the generalizations we post about ourselves without realizing that you might have done the exact opposite in many situations :)

Overcoming self-deception and confirmation bias in self-assessment has been a pivotal part of my personal growth journey. I've learned the importance of seeking external feedback to challenge my perceptions. Regularly asking for honest evaluations from colleagues, mentors, and friends has opened my eyes to blind spots in my self-assessment. Additionally, maintaining a reflective journal where I document decisions, outcomes, and reflections has helped me identify patterns in my thinking. My advice? Embrace vulnerability by actively seeking diverse perspectives and critically reflecting on your actions and beliefs.

An interesting twist/activity that you can engage in to overcome biases is to consider deep introspection or "mental time travel." After acknowledging your biases, periodically reflect on decisions or assessments you made in the past, and imagine advising your younger self with the knowledge you have now. Similarly, envision your future self looking back at your current decisions. This mental exercise not only highlights biases in hindsight but also promotes a forward-thinking mindset, encouraging you to make decisions that your future self will appreciate, thereby minimizing the impact of current biases and self-deception.

Challenging your assumptions is the second step in overcoming self-deception and confirmation bias. Assumptions are beliefs taken for granted, often without verification. They may stem from personal experiences, opinions, values, or emotions but aren't necessarily universally true. To challenge assumptions, ask questions about their logic, evidence, and implications. Consider the source's reliability, the evidence supporting or refuting it, alternative perspectives, and the consequences of the assumption. This process enables a more critical assessment, helping you determine the validity and reasonableness of your assumptions.

Once you have identified your biases and beliefs, it is time to challenge your assumptions. How did you get this assumption, where does it originate from and does it hold truth? What are you gaining by sticking to this assumption? Check also other opinions than yours, and feed yourself with new knowledge regarding your assumptions.

Accepting the truth of a difficult situation is often the hardest part of facing it head-on. Trying to sugarcoat or make it seem smaller than it is can be tempting, but such attempts will likely not help us get to the bottom of what happened and find an effective solution. By acknowledging the complexities of our experience without allowing it to define us and destroy our feelings of hope and motivation, we are gradually strengthened by all that we’ve learned.

Existe en el desarrollo personal una técnica creada por Katie Byron, denominada The Work. Creo que este tipo de técnicas son efectivas para realizar, previamente al proceso de autoevaluación.

A good way to do this is to look at the things from another person's eyes. Whatever your beliefs and assumptions are, put yourself in your audience's shoes and see if they are valid from the other person's view point. Examine the critique, the responses, the objections, and the feedback. You may be in for a lot of surprises.

One of the things my mentor would always say to me: "It's not about what they say but it's about what you listen. And it's not about what you say but it's about what they listen." Interpreting what someone means while giving you feedback is of utmost importance. There needs to be some clear action items for the feedback you receive so you can invest your time and resources in improving yourself and bringing the better version of yourself the next day. That will only come when you listen to the feedback carefully and act on it after analyzing it from different angles. A curious and open mind would always be open to be doing that.

While self-assessment is a great tool to start with, receiving feedback from peers and people in your network can be even more valuable. Remain open, seek for feedback and adopt the attitude of a student willing to learn new things about themselves.

Reflecting on whether you agree with both positive and negative feedback can be helpful to recognise the differences in how you perceive yourself versus how others perceive you. It's easy to get caught up in focussing only on the negative, but it's valuable to reflect on both.

Seeking feedback is the third step in overcoming self-deception and confirmation bias. Feedback, which provides information about your performance, behavior, or attitude from others, is crucial for improving self-assessment. To effectively seek feedback, maintain an open, curious, and respectful attitude. Ask for feedback from various sources like peers, supervisors, clients, or mentors, focusing on specific aspects of your work. Ensure the feedback is constructive, specific, and actionable. Listen attentively without interrupting or arguing, express gratitude for the feedback, and reflect on how to incorporate it into your self-improvement efforts.

In my experience, overcoming self-deception and confirmation bias requires a systematic approach to self-assessment. I've found that setting specific, measurable goals and objectively tracking my progress against these benchmarks helps counteract my biases. Utilizing tools like 360-degree feedback and personality assessments provides structured, unbiased insights into my behaviors and attitudes. Another effective strategy has been engaging in deliberate practice, focusing on areas of weakness identified through feedback, rather than just playing to my strengths. This methodical approach ensures that my self-assessment is rooted in reality, not just my perception.

Confronting self-deception and confirmation bias in self-assessment has taught me the value of embracing discomfort. Actively seeking out situations that challenge my preconceived notions and stepping out of my comfort zone have been crucial. Participating in workshops, reading broadly, and engaging in debates on unfamiliar topics have forced me to question my assumptions. To anyone struggling with bias in self-assessment, I recommend adopting a mindset of continuous learning and curiosity. Acknowledge that growth often comes from discomfort, and use it as a tool to forge a more accurate understanding of yourself.

I believe comparing yourself to others is not always the best way. However, you can compare yourself to yourself - where are you now compared to where you were before, and where do you want to be in the future?

Instead of comparing yourself to others, I would “Reverse Role-Play." This involves imagining how others might compare themselves to you, across the same dimensions you're considering. Think about what aspects others might admire in you, where they might see themselves as lacking in comparison, or how they perceive your progress over time. This exercise not only fosters empathy and a more nuanced understanding of your own standing but also helps mitigate the negative aspects of comparison, such as envy or complacency. I see this as a healthy way to gain perspective, appreciate your own unique journey, and understand that everyone has their strengths and areas for growth.

Comparison can be a dangerous game. The two most valuable comparisons are to your past self and to your ideal self. If you're still the same as you were 5 years ago, this isn't a good sign. You've lacked progress and growth, and you may think you know more than you do. If you compare yourself to your ideal self, you can see easily where you're not showing up the way you truly want to and where you need to focus.

Comparing yourself is the fourth step in overcoming self-deception and confirmation bias. This involves assessing yourself in relation to others or a standard to enhance self-assessment. Maintain objectivity, realism, and a positive mindset during comparisons. Compare yourself to those with similar backgrounds or experiences, individuals excelling in desired skills or achievements, your past self to track progress, a standard like a goal or best practice, and for a specific purpose such as learning or improvement. Use comparisons as a tool for motivation and growth rather than fostering negative emotions.

Experimentation is the fifth step in overcoming self-deception and confirmation bias. It involves trying new ideas, methods, or actions and observing the results. Although experimentation can expose you to new experiences, challenges, and opportunities, it may also be influenced by biases. To successfully experiment, cultivate curiosity, flexibility, and courage. Try different approaches, scenarios, and feedback sources. Question your beliefs, challenge your views, and be open to different results, consequences, or lessons. Embrace a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation through experimentation.

You can call this experimenting, or testing, or practicing. It's about trying, taking onboard the feedback in whatever form it comes, and trying again from a more informed position. The path to personal growth is through consistent progress, and that consistent progress comes from trying, learning and growing on repeat.

Totalmente de acuerdo, experimentar, salir de la zona de confort, probar nuevas herramientas, métodos, conductas que nos permitan romper todos los sesgos, hábitos, creencias, es lo que nos impulsa a avanzar

You can also review at a bigger picture level - what kind of problems are you regularly facing, and are there repeating patterns? If there are, chances are that since you're the common denominator, there's something you could work on to prevent that pattern from reoccurring.

It's important to assess oneself without any biases; address the issue by listing down deception traits, and work upon it to ensure personal improvement. This helps in reviewing effectively.

Accept that you might be deceiving yourself in certain areas of life. Practice mindfulness to increase self-awareness and recognize when you might be engaging in self-deception. Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation, can help you observe your thoughts without judgment. Stay open minded, set realistic goals and learn from mistakes, while practicing self-compassion. We are all on a journey here to learn, and the fact that you are becoming aware of self-deception is a great step forward.

There is great power in taking proactive steps towards allowing something negative to have a positive outcome. Instead of waiting for something bad to happen, embrace the challenge and take action steps towards making it a new opportunity for growth. With determination, this seemingly impossible task can become achievable; the strength will come from assuming control and developing an approach that leads us toward an end result of strength, resilience and greater understanding.

Distinguish between confidence and self-deception. Believing that you can do anything you put your mind to is a "deception" but the purpose is to motivate. Believing you are better and uniquely gifted above others can be an ego play--seeking to cover for insecurities about your background, experience, or preparation in comparison with others. This is the balance in an article like this. You want to exercise humility which is a self-comparison as you develop into being. Your ability to celebrate others and learn from them with application to your unique journey is the other side of the coin of honesty with yourself.