Heuristics &
Cognitive Biases

Why Your Brain Thinks It’s a Genius (But Keeps Proving Otherwise)

Why We’re All Terrible at Thinking (But It’s Not Your Fault)

We like to imagine ourselves as logical beings, calmly weighing facts and analyzing data like some sort of robot lawyer. But, spoiler alert: our brains are basically running on software from the ’90s—full of bugs, weird shortcuts, and occasionally freezing for no apparent reason. Enter heuristics and cognitive biases—those handy mental shortcuts and glitches that help us survive daily life but also ensure we make hilariously bad decisions.

The good news? You’re not alone! From CEOs to your barista, we’re all walking around with these faulty thinking patterns. The bad news? Well, it’s messing with our ability to do simple things like, I don’t know, think clearly.

A Quick Throwback: The Pioneers of ‘Wait, Are We All Just Bad at This?’

Before we jump into the fun stuff, let’s give a quick nod to the pioneers of this mental chaos.

Herbert Simon, a 1950s psychologist, realized we’re not the rational supercomputers we imagine ourselves to be. He said we’re limited by things like time, information, and that classic human trait: laziness. He coined this limitation “bounded rationality,” which is fancy speak for “we’re trying our best, okay?”

Then came Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, who essentially built a career out of exposing how terrible we are at making decisions. In the 1970s, they laid out a buffet of biases and mental shortcuts, including heuristics, for us to feast on—and, oh boy, did they serve it up hot.

What the Heck Are Heuristics Anyway?

In a nutshell, heuristics are like the mental equivalent of those “life hacks” you see online. You know the ones: “Use a paperclip to fix your car engine!” or “Turn an old sock into a 7-course dinner!” Except, in this case, it’s your brain saying, “Hey, why bother analyzing this when we can just go with what feels right?”

These shortcuts are great when you’re deciding which fast-food place to hit up or whether to double text someone. But in more complex scenarios—like deciding whether to invest in that “guaranteed-to-explode” cryptocurrency—heuristics can lead us astray.

Types of Heuristics

The following are 3 examples of the different cognitive biases that have a powerful influence on how you think, how you feel, and most importantly… how you behave.

The Greatest Hits: Your Brain’s Favorite Heuristics

Here are some of the classic mental shortcuts your brain likes to use. They might not help you win a Nobel Prize, but they will explain why you can’t stop buying things from Instagram ads.

  1. The Availability Heuristic: This one’s like the Netflix of decision-making—you choose the first option that pops up in your mental library. Let’s say you hear about a shark attack on the news. Suddenly, you’re convinced every beach is teeming with them, ready to chomp down the moment you dip a toe in the water. Why? Because that recent news story is so easy to recall. Sure, sharks kill fewer people than vending machines, but try telling your brain that when it’s still replaying Jaws scenes.

  2. The Representativeness Heuristic: Imagine you meet a guy who wears glasses, has a stack of books, and drinks herbal tea. Your brain’s immediate reaction? “Oh, definitely a professor or a writer.” Turns out, he’s a professional skateboarder. Why? Because your brain loves to match new info with existing stereotypes, even if it’s wildly wrong. (RIP to all those wrongfully labeled ‘hipster intellectuals.’)

  3. The Affect Heuristic: Have you ever made a decision purely based on how you felt in the moment? Like, deciding to buy a new gadget because, in that split second, it seemed like it would finally fill the void in your soul? That’s the affect heuristic, where emotions do the thinking. It’s also why that gadget is now sitting in a drawer gathering dust while you question your life choices.

But Wait, There’s More: Biases That Really Mess with Your Thinking

While heuristics are like your brain trying to speedrun a video game, cognitive biases are the glitches that make you keep losing. These biases warp your perception and judgment in the most entertainingly frustrating ways.

  • Confirmation Bias: This is your brain’s way of saying, “I’m always right, and I’ll prove it!” You only seek out information that confirms what you already believe, ignoring anything that challenges your sacred views. It’s why your Uncle Bob can watch hours of YouTube videos about how the moon landing was faked and feel more convinced than ever.

  • Hindsight Bias: Ever hear someone say “I knew that was going to happen” after the fact? Yeah, that’s hindsight bias talking. It’s the brain’s not-so-humble way of pretending it’s psychic. You didn’t actually know the outcome, but hey, why not take the credit?

  • Anchoring Bias: The first piece of information you get—whether it’s a price or an opinion—sets the tone for everything else. It’s why the first price a car dealer offers feels like the baseline, and suddenly you’re negotiating down from an absurd number. It’s also why you probably think that $25 toothpaste is “not so bad” after seeing it for $50 elsewhere.

  • The Halo Effect: We love slapping halos on people (and brands) for no good reason. Someone’s nice, so they must also be smart, competent, and have immaculate taste in music, right? The halo effect lets one positive trait blind us to all other glaring flaws. So yes, Brad from accounting may be good-looking, but maybe don’t let him handle your taxes just because of his cheekbones. Oh, remember Halley from HR, how can we forget her making sure you were well fed at last years Christmas party, just don’t let her take over the kitchen – nothing but TV dinners all week. 

Why Are We Like This?

So, why do we keep falling into these thinking traps? Well, it’s because life is complicated, and our brains are just trying to make it through the day without collapsing under the weight of decisions. Heuristics and biases are like mental auto-pilot—they save energy and time, but they come at the cost of accuracy.

Imagine if you had to make every single decision by slowly and methodically weighing all the options, from what toothpaste to buy to whether you should move to another city. You’d be exhausted before breakfast. So instead, your brain cheats a little, takes shortcuts, and makes you think you’re doing great.

Can We Beat These Biases? (Or Are We Doomed?)

The short answer? Not really. But recognizing them can help. Like spotting a magician’s sleight of hand, knowing these mental tricks exist makes it easier to catch yourself in the act. Sure, you’ll still fall for some of them—because, again, human—but at least you’ll be in on the joke.

So next time you find yourself positive that everyone agrees with your opinion (hello, False Consensus Effect), or you’re convinced you “knew it all along” (hindsight bias in the house!), just smile, shrug, and remember: it’s all part of the hilarious mental circus we’re living in.