People always said I was a calm guy. I never got angry or raised my voice. But it all changed when my daughter turned 3. Like many 3-year-olds, she was testing her limits. She would flat out ignore me when I told her to do something, or she would look me in the eye and …
I had a near-death experience. I was on a train to meet some friends outside Paris. People were getting on and off at various stops, and eventually, there were only two of us. The other guy was wearing a sleeveless jean jacket with worn-out biker boots. His knuckles were tattooed, and he had a scar …
We all crave sugar. Humans need sugar to live, so evolution gave us the craving for it. Sugar was relatively scarce in the environment in which humans evolved, so our metabolism adapted to convert excess calories from sugar quickly and efficiently into fat. Fast forward 100,000 years: sugar is now abundant in our environment. But …
Cognitive Bias: Definition, Examples & Common Types of Bias Read More »
My friend Gullible and I were having a discussion: Gullible: “I heard from Andrew Yang that universal income is the best solution to fight poverty.” Me: “Why do you believe that?” Gullible: “Yang is successful and famous, so he must be right.” This is a common informal fallacy called “The appeal to authority.” What Is …
“Be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the ‘M’ is silent.” -Anonymous (perhaps Unanimous) I had a conversation with my friend, Majority: Me: “Buying a house is not always the best investment.” Majority: “Most people want to buy a house, so it must be the best investment. It’s just common knowledge.” This is an …
Appeal to Popularity: Don’t Jump on the Bandwagon Read More »
I had a disagreement with my boss. He insisted that we should move forward on a project his way instead of mine. To make his case, he began criticizing me. When I called him out for a personal attack instead of my position, he was tongue-tied. He didn’t even realize his argument was commiting a …
I had a conversation the other day with my friend, Hasty: Me: “Canada has a good public health system: they provide care to 100% of their population.” Hasty: “The Canadian healthcare system sucks! One of my friends from Canada goes to the United States for every medical procedure he needs; otherwise, he’d have to wait …
Hasty Generalization: Definition, Examples, and How to Avoid It Read More »
Many people formed their first impression of Kamala Harris during the democratic primary debate. She argued that when Biden was a Senator he voted for a bill that opposed bussing. There was a little girl in California, she said, who was bussed to school every day. “That little girl,” she said, “was me.” Many people …
Straw Man: Definition, Examples, and How to Disarm It Read More »
I was delusional in college. I thought, “When I graduate, I’ll be ready for the real world and set for life.” The college offered a buffet of courses, and I was able to take any classes I wanted. As an 18-year-old, I took every shortcut I could to get my degree. My courses included California …
Why College Failed Me: Understanding the Claim Evaluation Skill Read More »
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.” -Richard Feynman When I was a boy, my parents often praised me for being intelligent: “Vishal, you’re so smart”; “You’re an intelligent boy”; “You’re as bright as kids come.” Later, I learned their well-intentioned compliments were setting me …
Self Deception: Definition, Examples, and Breaking the Cycle of Self Deception Read More »