Cognitive Bias

A cognitive bias is a pattern of poor judgment, often triggered by a particular situation.

I feel that thinking with your heart, trusting your heart and going with just your heart is a rather flawed way to go about things. You need checks and balances; balance. It is necessary to ask yourself questions. Hard questions, usually beginning with "why." Why is it so easy for me to help others but so hard for me to help myself? Why do I feel attacked? Why do I feel wistful? Why do I feel happy? And what. What can I do to help myself? What is the best course of action to take? What will happen if I do this?

It is so easy to slip cognitive biases in to justify yourself. When something at home does not go in my favor and I lash out at my brother. I have attributed the problem to him who really has done nothing. Upon further introspection I can realize that I'm really not angry at my brother at all. I'm hurt because of my mother. Her inattentiveness, her lack of care, her entitlement. In that case, what steps can I take to remedy the black karma? For one, I can apologize to my brother. I can talk to my mother about my reservations and feelings.

Similarly, when you feel someone has wronged you, it is incredibly easy to lash out with insults. But insults serve no greater purpose. To call someone a name that implies that they are a lesser person than you only serves to say a lot about you, not about the person you've insulted. Then, why do you feel the need to call them that? Is it because they have actually done something to wrong you directly, out of malice? Is it rather, defense? Did they intentionally hurt you? Is it because they themselves feel weak or insecure? Thinking things through, you can identify the cognitive bias in the situation and make a better decision.