Why Humans Are Neither Rational or Irrational
The argument that humans are irrational has grown popular in recent years, and the most common explanation is that humans have many cognitive biases which causes distorted thinking and irrational behavior. Amos Tversky and Daniel kahneman are the two Psychologists who discovered the origins of cognitive bias and revolutionized our understanding of how the brain works. They helped us understand that human decision-making is not as logical or straight-forward as we once believed.
To make the world easier to navigate, our brains simplify the information we process to manageable chunks and simplified mental models that help us make quick decisions. It may seem like a limitation at first glance, but our brains are actually being efficient. Imagine having to engage in a lengthy logical thinking process which forces you to consider every piece of information in the midst of an emergency that requires quick action. Or imagine having to logically process everything you say or hear during a conversation which would actually disrupt its flow and make it awkward. That’s one reason why it’s very common to spot bias in our opinions and behaviors, even though we think they’re very logical and objective.
There are many cognitive biases. An example of a common cognitive bias is confirmation bias, which is our universal tendency to look for information that…
