The Deciding Mind
How we actually make choices, and the biases that quietly steer them.
11 steps · roughly 33 minutes to read · Reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA
Dual Process Theory
Thinking happens in two speeds, and knowing which one is driving helps you trust it or double check it.
Heuristics
Shortcuts make judgment fast and usually good enough, but they leave a trail of predictable errors.
Anchoring Bias
The first number, idea, or impression often influences everything that follows.
Framing Effect
The frame around the facts often moves us more than the facts themselves.
Loss Aversion
The brain weighs losses more heavily than gains.
Decoy Effect
A deliberately inferior option makes a nearby option look like the smart pick.
Compromise Effect
The middle choice feels safe, so we reach for it by default.
Endowment Effect
Owning something makes us price it higher than we would pay for it.
Sunk Cost Fallacy
Past costs shouldn't determine future decisions.
Present Bias
The present shouts while the future whispers, so now usually wins.
Hyperbolic Discounting
Waiting feels cheap when it's far off and unbearable when it's near, so we reverse ourselves.