Outsmart Your Brain and Make Better Choices

We like to believe that most of our decisions are rational — but the truth is, our brains often take mental shortcuts that quietly distort how we think. These shortcuts, known as cognitive biases, evolved to help us make quick judgments. Yet in today’s complex world, they can easily lead us astray.

Imagine standing in a shop and seeing a “limited-time offer”. Suddenly, that item feels irresistible, even though you hadn’t planned to buy it. Or maybe you’ve clung to a bad idea just because you’ve already invested time in it. These are classic examples of cognitive biases at work.

Some of the most common include:

  • Confirmation bias: favouring information that supports what we already believe.
  • Anchoring bias: letting the first piece of information we see shape our judgement.
  • Availability heuristic: assuming something is more common or likely just because it’s easy to recall.

So how do we overcome them?

Start by spotting the signals. When you feel defensive, rushed, or overly certain — pause. Ask yourself: What evidence would prove me wrong?
Try playing devil’s advocate or seeking out a completely different viewpoint.

Next, use structure. Write down your options before deciding. Try journaling your thought process or doing a pre-mortem — imagining your plan has failed and analysing why. And finally, practise mindful awareness; when you slow down, your biases lose their grip.

Overcoming bias isn’t about being perfect — it’s about becoming aware. Each time you catch yourself thinking, “Wait, am I being biased?” you’re already one step ahead.

We hope you will enjoy our video exploring this topic further; you can catch it here 📚🧠📖💡

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I’m Ellen

Ellen Noer Didrichsen

BigIdeasGrowingMinds is created by me, Ellen Noer Didrichsen.

I started BigIdeasGrowingMinds because of my true passion for Learning, Leadership Development and Personal Growth. I believe that the Big Ideas often only taught in leadership programs, should be available for anyone!

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