Confirmation Bias

Confirmation Bias is the tendency to seek, interpret and remember information that confirms existing beliefs while dismissing contradictory evidence. It narrows perspective, blocks learning and distorts decision quality—especially under time pressure or emotional investment.

In self-management, confirmation bias often reinforces unhelpful stories about productivity, capabilities or identity. Cultivating mindful awareness and tracking outcomes over opinions creates a more accurate feedback loop.

Practical antidotes include explicitly listing disconfirming evidence, running pre-mortems and using small experiments to test assumptions.