Thinking Traps (Part 2)

A mental model malfunctioning or producing an unplanned result is called a “thinking trap.” Here are some common examples. Remember, we all fall victim to these at some point.

We assume the future will be like the past.?We take the same route to work every day without thought, and usually, it works just fine. We do this because of a specific mental model that says, “What worked in the past will work?the?same way in the future.”?

If traffic is bad, the consequences aren’t usually enough to cause us to change. But what happens when decisions have real consequences? In those cases, assuming the past is a good guide to the future is usually unwise.

We see patterns and create meaning where there is none.?When we describe something as “good” or “bad,” we give it meaning. When we mentally order or arrange events, we create a pattern. In both cases, we are “personalizing our experience”—making everything about us. We become bound up in patterns and meaning and can no longer observe and experience people and events as they are.

To be continued...