Top 10 Thinking Traps Exposed. Our minds set up many traps for us. Unless we’re aware of them, these traps can seriously hinder our ability to think rationally, leading us to bad reasoning and making stupid decisions. Features of our minds that are meant to help us may, eventually, get us into trouble. Here are the first 5 of the most harmful of these traps and how to avoid each one of them. 1.
The Anchoring Trap: Over-Relying on First Thoughts “Is the population of Turkey greater than 35 million? Lesson: Your starting point can heavily bias your thinking: initial impressions, ideas, estimates or data “anchor” subsequent thoughts. This trap is particularly dangerous as it’s deliberately used in many occasions, such as by experienced salesmen, who will show you a higher-priced item first, “anchoring” that price in your mind, for example. What can you do about it? Always view a problem from different perspectives. 2. Consider the status quo as just another alternative. 3. Be OK with making mistakes. Top 10 Thinking Traps Exposed — How to Foolproof Your Mind, Part II. In the first part of this article, we focused on 5 traps that hinder our ability to think rationally.
As a quick recap, we discussed: The Anchoring Trap: Over-Relying on First ThoughtsThe Status Quo Trap: Keeping on Keeping OnThe Sunk Cost Trap: Protecting Earlier ChoicesThe Confirmation Trap: Seeing What You Want to SeeThe Incomplete Information Trap: Review Your Assumptions Now it’s time to complete the list and expose the remaining 5 dangerous traps to be avoided. Let’s dive right in. 6. In a series of experiments, researchers asked students in a classroom a series of very simple questions and, sure enough, most of them got the answers right.
This “herd instinct” exists — to different degrees — in all of us. This tendency to conform is notoriously exploited in advertising. Conformity is also one of the main reasons why once a book makes into a well-known best-sellers list, it tends to “lock in” and continue there for a long time. What can you do about it? 7. 8. John Riley is a legend. Remembering 'Remember Pearl Harbor' How atheists celebrate Dec. 25. Deck those halls with boughs of apples and top that tree with a finger puppet of Sir Isaac Newton.
At least that's what Robin Zebrowski does at her home in Beloit, Wis., where she and her husband, Joshua, observe the birthday of the great 17th-century English scientist and mathematician, Dec. 25, 1642. They send cards featuring a bust of the great man (inside reads: "Reasons Greetings! "), and exchange gifts that emphasize science and knowledge, including books and other "nerdy" things, Zebrowski said. STORY: Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists On Dec. 24, the couple and their two cats leave a plate for Newton's ghost with an apple and a CD mix. "My husband speculated that if Newton were really taking the place of Santa, he'd probably just rent a Prius, being environmentally conscious and unlucky enough to know that reindeer can't fly," said Zebrowski, 36.
Merry Newtonmas, everyone! The origins of Newtonmas are murky at best. Then there's Newton's religiosity.