Dealing with uncertainty & anxiousness
Cognitive bias holds us from making decisions, it is time to step out of the comfort zone
Hello there,
After an entire week of vote counting, the results are out (phew!) and the world finally knows that the US has turned the tide. While the entire world watched with rapt attention as the US made a choice for change, the electoral process took a massive toll on the Americans. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly 70% of US adults said the presidential election was a significant source of stress. Now, that is some alarming marker of the far-reaching implications that decisions have on our mental health.
Amid the daily grind of thousands of our own personal minor and major decisions, we also have to make time for social choices. However, have you ever been intrigued how our brain manages to process these umpteen problem-solving activities? Is it an art or a science? There is no doubt that emotions, beliefs and values rule our choices, but science (rather neuroscience) shows that our brains have structures that are involved in the decision-making processes.
But, if it’s science why do we feel like every choice to be made is a conundrum? In this week’s post, let’s delve into one of the important reasons why we may feel challenged: We are inherently and overtly resistant to changes. Decisions that involve breaking the status quo, stepping out of comfort zones or taking a risk are often the ones that give us sleepless nights and also often the ones that are put off till the last minute. The result as we know are impulsive and disastrous choices.
In 1972, researchers Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman introduced to the world something called as “cognitive bias”, describing people's “systematic but purportedly flawed patterns of responses to judgment and decision problems”. In simple terms, it is a limitation that the human brain has as we tend to process information provided to us through the lens of our personal experiences and preferences. It is a limitation that stops humans from thinking objectively and rather, it steers us on a path filtered by our perception.
During their investigation, Tversky and Kahneman also found that the people who were part of their research rejected offers that looked risky but when the same choices were offered in a more appealing manner, the subjects were ready to take the risks. In order to be more decisive, all of us may just need to relook at the choices on the table from a different perspective. The choice that invoked fear due to its demand for change may start appearing more lucrative than the others if looked at objectively.
Coming back to the US presidential elections, apart from the transnational, economic and social significance, the results assume importance as Americans have voted for change and successfully beaten the status quo bias. Whether for good or bad is something we have to wait and watch. But if they can step out of their four-year comfort, so can we. Agreed, changes are difficult. Anything that rocks the boat of stability does not seem like worth the effort but it is time to look beyond our fears and doubts, at the benefits that may behold on the other side of the horizon. When you just can’t do it, remember to breathe and tell yourself “change is the only constant”.
And, here’s more fuel to keep your brain sorted
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