Mental biases that lead to irrationality are rooted in 2 negative emotions:

• Desire for pleasure

• Avoidance of pain

In The Laws of Human Nature, Robert Greene explains 6 thinking biases that make us less rational

Let's look into each of them

#1 Confirmation Bias

Finding evidence that only confirms what we want to believe

We want to hear our own ideas and preferences using evidence that only supports that view

How to spot cognitive bias:

Look at theories or concepts that seem a little too good to be true

Examine the evidence by yourself, never by what others put out, with as much skepticism

That's how you escape confirmation bias

#2 Conviction Bias

"I believe in this idea so strongly. It must be true"

Holding on to ideas that are secretly pleasing to us, but deep inside, we doubt their truth

But, we cover it up to convince ourselves & others, hiding our doubts

We told ourselves: "How can it not be true if it brings us such energy to defend it?"

Showing nuances and hesitancy only reveal weakness and self-doubt

Beware of this bias

Because it makes us susceptible to people who display conviction as a way to convince or deceive

#3 Appearance Bias

We believe we see people as who they are

But in truth, people aren't showing themselves as who they are but how they appear to us

These appearances are usually misleading

People are putting masks on who they truly are

Yet, we take these masks for reality, deceiving us

#4 The Group Bias

Believing that the ideas we have are our own

Not coming from the idea of the group we conform to

In reality, Our ideas are shaped by interactions with certain groups we believe in

We adhere to groups because we are social animals by nature

We feel relieved when we find out others who think the same way we do

#5 The Blame Bias

We blame external factors for our mistakes

Not looking closely at what we did, on the inside

Why? Because it is often too painful to look at our mistakes

So we blame others → conditions, circumstances, judgments

It takes into question our feelings and superiority

It pokes at our ego, and our mind doesn't like that

#6 Superiority Bias

"I'm different. I'm more rational than others."

We cannot see our faults and irrationalities

But it's crystal clear for the faults of others

Everything that constitutes our success, we think, comes from natural talent and hard work

But for other people's success, they must have been doing dirty tactics to get to where they are