Why you make bad decisions
Making decisions heavily relies on our cognitive capacity, and the way our cognitive abilities evolve over time shapes how we make decisions.
When trying to understand why we make bad decisions at times, it can be helpful to take a look at how the brain works—specifically how the brain takes in new information and the default shortcuts the brain uses as it strives to be an efficient meaning-making machine.
Understanding our cognitive limitations and acknowledging the cognitive biases that hold us back can help us become better decision-makers.
One of the tools that our brains use to make sense of the goings-on around it are called schemas.
It’s most helpful to think of schemas as storylines.
When we are growing and experiencing life, our brains form stories around those experiences.
These storylines serve as the framework upon which the brain sets up its worldview and subsequent expectations.