Category: Cognitive Bias

The Dangerous Myth of “Thinking Outside the Box”

Image by Mohamed Hassan on Pixabay We’ve all heard the advice “If you want a breakthrough, you need to think outside the box.”  It has become a corporate cliché. But this phrase does more than just grate on our nerves; it can harm real innovation. By creating a false divide between “inside” and “outside” thinking, the myth misrepresents how creative breakthroughs... Read More--

Experts can often be Sceptics and Wrong

There are several notable historical examples where a large number of scientists opposed an idea that later turned out to be true. Here are some instances: The Theory of Special Relativity was put forward by Albert Einstein in 1905. It contained revolutionary ideas about light, energy and space-time. Many scientists rejected Einstein’s work for decades. In 1931 a book was published entitled,... Read More--

How Open-Minded Are You? Quick Quiz.

Image by Mohamed Hassan on Pixabay   Almost everyone considers that they are open-minded and receptive to new ideas.  As a friend facetiously remarked, “I know I’m open-minded and nobody will convince me otherwise.” In reality it is very easy to fall into a rut where we cling to our own entrenched concepts of the world and subconsciously reject notions which might disturb our... Read More--

Avoid Addition Bias – Crop the Photo

Image by Daniel Kirsch on Pixabay Have you noticed that almost every photo that you take with your camera or mobile phone can be improved by cropping?  As we take away extraneous background details, we bring the subject into clearer view.  By eliminating the unnecessary we emphasise the important.  The same is true in many other fields – taking things out can seriously improve performance.  But... Read More--