Top 10 Cognitive Biases That Affect Your Everyday Decisions

De: Elira Fontayne

Narrado por: Dominic Avila

Every day, you make hundreds of choices — from the small, like what to eat for lunch, to the life-changing, like choosing a career or a partner. You may believe you are weighing the facts carefully, acting rationally, and exercising free will. Yet beneath the surface, your brain is constantly taking shortcuts, leaning on mental rules of thumb that evolved to help our ancestors survive. These shortcuts — known as heuristics — are fast and efficient, but they also open the door to systematic mistakes called cognitive biases.

In this eye-opening book, Elira Fontayne explores the ten most common cognitive biases that shape your thinking and subtly steer your decisions. These hidden forces influence how you spend money, who you trust, what risks you take, and even how you see yourself. By the time you finish, you’ll never look at your own mind in quite the same way again.

You’ll uncover how confirmation bias keeps you trapped in echo chambers, dismissing evidence that doesn’t fit your beliefs. You’ll see how anchoring bias tricks you into overvaluing the first number you hear — a tactic used every day by advertisers, retailers, and negotiators. The availability heuristic shows why vivid events like plane crashes feel far more common than they are, while more mundane risks go ignored. The sunk cost fallacy explains why people throw good money after bad, staying in doomed projects and relationships because they’ve already “invested too much to quit.”

The book also dives into the powerful social pull of the bandwagon effect, revealing why we so often follow the crowd even when our instincts warn us otherwise. With the Dunning-Kruger effect, you’ll learn why the least competent often feel the most confident, and how humility is an antidote to overconfidence. The fundamental attribution error shows how quick we are to blame people instead of circumstances. The framing effect demonstrates that the way a choice is presented can completely change the decision we make, even when the facts remain the same. The overlooked survivorship bias highlights how focusing only on success stories hides the failures that matter just as much. And finally, the optimism bias reveals why we routinely underestimate our own risks, convinced that accidents, illness, or misfortune will happen to someone else, not us.

Each chapter explains not only what the bias is, but also why it exists, how it shows up in daily life, and what strategies you can use to guard against it. From marketing tricks that shape your spending habits to workplace dynamics, political opinions, and personal choices, these biases are everywhere. By understanding them, you gain a clearer view of reality — and a better chance at making sound, intentional decisions.

Accessible, engaging, and packed with real-world examples, Top 10 Cognitive Biases That Affect Your Everyday Decisions is more than just a book about psychology. It is a practical guide to seeing through the hidden distortions of your own mind. It invites you to step outside of your mental blind spots and develop the awareness to ask: “Am I thinking clearly, or is bias at play?”

Whether you’re a student of psychology, a professional seeking sharper decision-making skills, or simply a curious listener who wants to understand yourself better, this book will change how you think about thinking. By the end, you’ll be able to recognise the invisible patterns that shape your perceptions — and reclaim control over the everyday choices that define your life.

Knowledge is power, but self-knowledge is freedom.

©2025 Deep Vision Media t/a Zentara UK (P)2025 Deep Vision Media t/a Zentara UK

Eye-Opening and Thought-Provoking from Start to Fi

This book helped me understand why people (including me!) often make choices that seem irrational in hindsight. The availability heuristic and optimism bias chapters were especially relevant in today’s fast-paced media environment. I enjoyed the author’s calm, friendly tone and the practical strategies to counter each bias. It’s the kind of book you read once and continue thinking about for weeks.

Transforms How You Think About Thinking

By the end of the book, I found myself actively questioning my reactions and assumptions. The discussion of Dunning-Kruger and survivorship bias was particularly memorable. This isn’t just informative—it genuinely changes how you approach decisions and information.

Changed How I See My Own Decisions

After reading this book, I started noticing cognitive biases everywhere at work, online, and even in conversations with friends. It’s unsettling at first, but ultimately empowering. Awareness really does feel like the first step toward better choices.

Well Structured and Easy to Follow

The logical structure makes the book very reader-friendly. Each chapter builds on the last without feeling repetitive. The consistent format helps reinforce learning and makes it easy to revisit specific biases later.

A Fascinating Look Into the Invisible Forces Shapi

I picked this up out of curiosity and ended up highlighting almost every chapter. The blend of evolutionary psychology and modern examples made the content extremely engaging. I now recognize how framing and social influence shape my opinions far more than I thought. This book doesn’t just teach you about biases — it teaches you about yourself. Highly recommended for anyone pursuing personal growth.