Cognitive Biases that are Warping Our Perception of Reality

As I find myself ever more fascinated by the human mind and the influence it has over human behaviour, I thought it would be healthy for me to explore the cognitive biases that we all find warping our very own perception of reality.

Since the dawn of time, human beings have suffered with "flawed human reasoning" and the very own cause to manifesting our very own perception of reality. It also goes without saying that our perceptions shape our actions, our experiences and our lives, emphasising the importance of understanding cognitive biases and the power of the human mind.

As Jeff Desjardins states "when it comes to interpreting information and making objective sense of reality, human brains are hard-wired to make all kinds of mental mistakes that can impact our ability to make rational judgements." As human beings, we aren't perfect, but we aren't imperfect, either. Being mindful of thought can allow someone to develop a cognitive "defence force", allowing one to make less "mental mistakes."

This cognitive "defence force" is something I have spent years learning about, understanding and befriending; a mental stronghold to diminish the mental mistakes we humans make so regularly. This can be defined in the term "Know Thyself" and emphasises the meaning of self awareness and internal clarity.

As per the article written by Jeff Desjardins, he describes 24 Cognitive Biases which Warp our Perception of Reality, all of which hold a variance of importance to different individuals with different characteristics.

For the purposes of quality, I will only be focusing on a group in which I believe hold the most value which I will derive from my personal experiences.

Dunning-Kruger Effect - The more you know, the less confident you're likely to be.

The truth is, we all know what we don't know. And that's a lot. I, for one, know what I don't know. However, I intend to spend my entire lifetime learning as the world continues to grow, advance and develop at rapid rates. I will continually strive for information that is being re-created and enhanced. As Bertrand Russell said " The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves, yet wiser people so full of doubts."

It is important to note that the importance is not in education itself, but self education of self interest. I believe that there will never be enough information to source and with the growth in infrastructure across the internet we will never be without information. However, be mindful of the information you choose to believe as some may not be a true reflection of the informative source itself.

Declinism - You remember the past as better than it was, and expect the future to be worse than it will likely be.

This cognitive bias speaks truth to all of us. I can confidently agree that I have suffered with 'Declinisim' and the way I perceived the past and the future. It goes without saying that this cognitive bias can be the most self destructive as our perceptions can skew the truth and determine what we believe, for us.

One characteristic of 'Declinism' for me is the way I chose to perceive people from my past. I tend to look back and see them for the goodness that they were, but have found that some of the goodness I see in people was merely a reflection of the goodness I hoped to see in that person at the time they were situated in my life.

Another intriguing element of this cognitive bias is the belief that things are getting worse regardless of how good life is for us."The 24 hour news cycle, with its reporting of overly negative and violent events, may account for some of this effect." Although we live in difficult and gloomy times, I am a believer of positive thought, and the saying "we reap what we sow" comes to mind. What we give thought to, we receive back to us in the same form.

Self-Serving Bias - You believe your failures are due to external factors, yet you're personally responsible for your successes.

In short, one cannot admit faults but is the first to champion their successes.

I find this cognitive bias speaks so true to the 21st century where we are always exposed to the champions of our reality through social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. The problem is, we are all co-creating a cycle of falsified reality where we share only the greatness our lives have to offer, but never openly share our lives when it poorly reflects our identity.

This global perception of success has created a system where we cannot be anything but the best and most successful versions of ourselves, otherwise we are worthless. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are not the root problem but the platform that allows people to continue to feed the cycle. People are too afraid to be themselves in an existence that thrives from the falsification of stories, people and news articles. The question I ask myself is "Do we need to jump on the digital bandwagon in order to develop and grow in this society?"

It goes without saying that we attach happiness, love and likeness with shares, follows and likes on our photos. We associate popularity with follower count and success with social media influence. In my eyes, it is imperative to understand the influence you have on your audience and to be mindful of the influential footprint you intend to leave.

Self-Serving Bias leads perfectly on to the finial Cognitive Bias that I place value on; Groupthink.

Groupthink - You let social dynamics of a group situation override the best outcomes.

"Dissent can be uncomfortable and dangerous to one's social standing, and so often the most confident or first voice will determine group decisions." Rather than openly contradicting others, we tend to find ourselves submissively accepting one's statement or point of view as final, without any justification and only merely group consent.

Unfortunately, some people feel it is necessary to speak above others, believing that they hold the key to all the answers, dominantly overshadowing their peers. With first hand experience of this, I believe that is more a reflection of a lack of emotional coefficient of intelligence (EQ) and the inability to emotionally connect with a group. Unfortunately, due to this, I have seen great leaders be bossed, ultimately leading to a groupthink outcome.

Having conscious awareness of one's position in a group can lead to a positive co-creating and co-leading environment for all, not only one.

In Closing

It is without a doubt that in my life I have experienced most, if not all 24 cognitive biases that have warped my own perception of reality. With the development of self awareness, mindfulness and understanding, I have been able to create and construct my own perception of reality. In doing this, I have tried to let go of warping perceptions and rather intuitively allowed myself to navigate as I see fit.

As I said previously, I know what I don't know which means I will always strive to learn more and more. Everyday is a blessing and the present is a present. "To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom." - Socrates

If you have found this article interesting thus far, you may also like to read a few other articles of mine:

How I Created a Test to Further Enhance My Mind and Focus (pt.1)

Owning our Shadow Self: Unlocking Innovation, Creativity & Intuition

Emotional Intelligence, The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) & Technical Assimilation

How to Operate in a World of Resistance & Obstacles

How To Be Fearless in Your Pursuit to Find Your Hustle

Mind Shift?