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Tom Goodwin

Today's Cognitive Bias!

Is the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.


Otherwise known as the Frequency illusion is a cognitive bias where once we notice something for the first time, we start seeing it everywhere.


It creates the perception that the thing we noticed is appearing more frequently than it actually is. It's the reason why almost all trend decks are utterly useless and wrong.


The funny thing about all cognitive biases, this one being a very good example, is they show quite how terrible we are at understanding the world. We have an incredibly flawed ability to see the world how it really is. The more focussed we are on our work, the more we think about unusual things, the worse our true understanding is.


We spend our entire lives overwhelmed by so much stimulus and data we've no idea how to cope, so we use all sorts of tricks, templates, shortcuts, with pattern matching being the main one.


When we combine the frequency illusion with Confirmation bias and the Recency illusion, we've even less hope of seeing the world at is.




1) So remember to keep aware of this

2) Seek external opinions, you pay consultants to tell you where you're wrong.

3) When you want to understand something more, Zoom out , not in.

4) Be skeptical about what you think, always challenge yourself.

5) Seek robust debate, try to find those who offer diverse fews and enjoy the challenge of being challenged






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