Is you commitment in compulsion?

Imagine you want to buy a very very expensive pair of shoe, a brand which you always wanted to carry but couldn’t afford. However, one fine day you read or watch one of the inspirational videos floating around on WhatsApp groups about how you have only one life to live, make the most of it etc. In that moment of inspiration, you go ahead and buy that very expensive pair of shoe and it arrives couple of days later. Your parents and your better half are not really impressed. They did ask you about the need of this purchase burning a hole in your pocket but you ignore them.

Next week you go out with your friends and each one of them take note of the beautiful shoe and compliment you for it. However, by the evening ends and you are back home, your feet are hurting like hell. There are shoe bites on both feet. Next time you wear it, the same happens again and this time the bite is more like a small wound which keeps getting worse. You can’t even return the shoe now.

What will you do?

What will most people do in this situation?

The above is an example of “Sunk Cost Fallacy” where in when we invest our time or money in something, we feel compelled to follow on. Most people will continue to carry those pair of shoes with them, occasionally wearing them for short duration occasions as well.

This is also an example of a bigger phenomenon first described by Stan in his 1976 paper titled: “Knee-deep in the big muddy: a study of escalating commitment to a chosen course of action”. The phenomenon is called Commitment Bias. Sunk Cost Fallacy is actually an example of commitment bias.

Commitment bias is when people (individuals or groups) continue to support their ideas, behavior or decisions specially those displayed or exhibited in public, even when they are presented with evidence that their idea or decision were wrong.

The primary reason they want to continue to maintain their position on the idea or decision is to reflect consistency in their behavior to their friends, family or colleagues in general and public at large.

The way out of this bias is to constantly keep reminding our selves that we are not “know it all”. It is ok to have different view, idea or make a wrong decision when we have knowledge or information handicap. It is also ok to change your decision for the sake of improvement for self and every one around you. To do this one needs to be extremely conscious, humble and in a constant learning mode. I have made a small flowchart which I hope may help understand this concept quickly.

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https://bloggershiv.com/are-you-commiting-in-compulsion/