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Our mind sets up many traps. If we are not aware of them, it affects our ability to think critically and rationally, which leads to making bad or even disastrous decisions.

In some cases, the struggle with these mind games is just their detection. However, there are cases when the person is aware of the trap, but continues to commit an irrational act. Such traps represent a great interest, they are too complicated, but even with them it is possible to effectively fight.

Consider the most intricate traps and the distortion of our mind.

Trap anchoring

"If the population of Turkey greater than 35 million, what is your guess of their number?". The researchers asked this question to people and rarely received a response a lot more 35 million. On average called the numbers from 40 to 50 million. When the researchers asked another group of people "If Turkey's population of over 100 million, what is your assumption about their number", people would call the average number of 140 to 150 million. If anyone is interested, the correct answer is 70 million, but the actual number was not the key in this study.

Lesson: the Starting point can significantly shift your mindset — the first impression, ideas or thoughts that are affected by previous information.
This trap is extremely dangerous because it is being used to manipulate public consciousness and to influence the other person. For example, when a salesperson first shows the expensive item, and then cheaper.

What can you do?
- Always consider the problem from all points of view. Avoid rating something from one point of view. To start, formulate the problem and then find a solution. So it will be difficult to mess with your head.
- First, think for yourself, then listen to others. Gather as much information about your problem, think about it, think about the decision. And then listen to someone else's opinion.
- Search for information from different sources. Consider all points of view with a cool head.

the Trap of the status quo

In another experiment, two groups of people received the same gift: the first group received a decorated mug, the second — Swiss chocolate. They said they can change each other these gifts, if the majority in both groups will be over. Logic dictates that exactly half of the people would agree to the exchange, but in practice these were only 10%.

Lesson: We tend to repeat established behaviors, even if it forced us from the outside. Moreover, to change our behaviour can only be a great incentive. So the man agree to stay in a losing position and not agree to change their behavior. A little incentive will make him give up his behavior. The status quo says that a person believes their current position more advantageous than a possible alternative.


What can you do?
- Consider the status quo as just another alternative. Ask yourself, would you have stood in the current situation, if it were not the status quo.
- Know your purpose. If your current situation does not allow you to achieve your goals as efficiently as possible, think about changing their behavior.
- Avoid the exaggeration of flaws of the position change. Usually the flaws are not as big as you think.

the Trap of sunk costs

The state or the company adheres to the line of conduct in a situation when she's not working, just because you already invested a lot of money into this project. For example, the company invests in the development of pagers, when there are more than perfection of the device. But since the money was invested and lost, the decision to continue the senseless development.

Lesson: You need to understand that the money is gone and it should not influence your decision, otherwise it will only get worse.

What can you do?
- Look at your mistakes in a positive way. Find out why recognizing past mistakes make you so upset. The reasons can be many, and the mistake strife. Realize that error is good, it means you are doing something new. Acknowledge its presence and fix.
- Find unbiased people. Emotionally they were not involved in making your decisions, so you can objectively assess the situation.
- Focus on your goals. We make decisions based on their goals. If you see that your decision does not work, do not click this button until you're blue.

Trap confirmation

You see what you want to see. If you are a player on the stock exchange, do not sell your stocks simply because they are sure that their value will rise. You seek out confirmation of his innocence: for example, reading a book, which describes a situation similar to yours. Confidence in your decision may be fueled by success in another area of your life.

Congratulations, you just fell into the trap of confirmation. It often suffer bad writers: they first understand that the Chapter is written badly, and then begin to convince myself that it is beautiful. That's just reality anyway.

Lesson: to Accept information that confirms your right, should be cautious. Another point of view must also be considered.

What can you do?
- Open their minds to information that contradicts your desires. Of course his dream to follow, even when nobody believes in you, but to deny reality is not worth it. Do not convince yourself that a mediocre performance can be perceived good only because you decided so.
- Hire a devil's advocate. Find someone who likes to argue. Let him thoroughly examine the situation and take the opposite of your point of view.
- Do not ask leading questions. When you ask for advice, ask neutral questions and not influence the response of a person.

Trap incomplete information

This trap of consciousness can lead to catastrophic consequences. You can make financial decisions based on one or two financial facts, while there are hundreds and even thousands. You can refuse to work with someone who doesn't know the capital of Austria, but sometimes it means nothing. Though unpleasant.

Lesson: You make decisions based on a small percentage of information, although in most cases it costs you nothing to find out more.

What can you do?
- Make your assumptions are accurate. Remember that every problem has one important element — your assumptions. Identify the difference between fact and assumption.
- Always maintain a heavy knowledge in exchange for mental simplification.
- Stereotypes, simplifications and prejudices rarely lead to success. Always ask questions.

the Trap of conformity

If a person decides to go to a restaurant, being already on the street, most likely he will go to the one where most people. Herd instinct exists in varying degrees in all of us. Some are inventing radical ways to fight and choose the other extreme. They become non-conformists, and for them, popularity is a sign of bad taste.

Lesson: We are afraid to look stupid. After all, if so many people chose this restaurant, so they know what to do. If popular, then at least have the sense to check why.

What can you do?
- Underestimate the effect of a different opinion. When analyzing information, shield yourself from other people's opinions. At least at first. To know someone else's opinion can always: people are willing to share.
- Beware of social proof. When a person tries to prove the value of something only on the basis of popularity, just indicate on this moment and demand real evidence of his innocence.
- Be bold. Always be ready to defend their point of view. But not fall into the other extreme: to prove that something is bad just because what is popular is also a rule of bad taste.

the trap of the illusion of control

People watching, throwing bones, helps to see firsthand the existence of this trap. People shooting in the dark, just believe that the shot will hit the target because they want to. Optimism is a beautiful thing when it is justified.

Lesson: We tend to believe that somehow is able to affect something that is objectively not able to influence. We just love control.

What can you do?
You have to understand that randomness is just part of life. It is always difficult to admit that many aspects of our lives just random and chaotic. So you want to know all the laws of the Universe and predict events. Take responsibility for what you are able to control and stop thinking about things that can not control.
- Keep away from superstitions. See how many you make decisions in life that even not explain. Carefully explore them instead of having to pretend to control them.

Trap match

Many coincidences can be explained by statistics. If you participate in lotteries 1000 and buy 1000 tickets each time, your chances of winning may be, for example, 10% (depending on how many people participate and buy tickets). And if you win, everyone will know about it; but what they don't know it's about the number of your attempts and purchased tickets.

Lesson: a Miracle is possible. However, to increase the likelihood of its occurrence, do something.

What can you do?
- Do not rely excessively on intuition. It's a beautiful thing, but all you need to know the measure. And learn to distinguish your intuition from desire.
- Keep away from the likelihood of "posteffect". It's one thing when a person wins the lottery twice in a row, we just look at the past. And it's another thing if the person won the lottery once and we expect that this person won it for the second time — in this case the conditional probability reaches one billion.

Trap memories

The probability of being in a plane crash 1 to 10 million. However, after the crash people tend to exaggerate the likelihood of its recurrence.

We exaggerate the value of events that stand out. Anyone essentially don't care what kind of day has landed a hundred thousand, it is perceived as a given and not taken into account.

Lesson: We analyze information based on experience or on what we have learned from this experience. And people tend to make negative conclusions, and a lot of drama.

What can you do?
- Get accurate data. Don't rely on your memory, it has the ability to change reality.
- Be aware of your emotions. Emotions often interfere to analyze the information. In the case of travel by plane, try to isolate your emotions and think rationally. Besides, you can ask the opinion of another person not associated with your problem.
- Beware of the media. Media space can interfere with rational thinking even if it does not have a clear intention to scare you, and in the case when this deliberate wish, things get even worse. Learn what is happening in the world, but don't overdo it.

Trap of superiority

A study was conducted in which taxi drivers were asked to rate their driving skills. It turned out that 93% of all respondents rated their skills higher than average, resulting from test audits of their abilities. The difference between faith in their own strength and overestimation of abilities is the difference between confidence and arrogance.

Lesson: People have overly inflated opinion of himself. They overestimate their abilities and skills, which leads to very large errors (and not only in their lives but the lives of companies).


What can you do?
- Be modest. Everyone has blind spots.
- Surround yourself with humble but talented people. If you surround yourself with people with a bloated ego and these people are nothing, you can absorb their demeanor.
- Do not cross face. If you notice that other people often fall into traps of consciousness, not podavaite their criticism, just calmly explain to them what is their mistake.





As was said, many distortions and traps of consciousness disappear when you just look at them. However, other eats so much that you have time to unravel this tangle. Learn the manner of your thinking and identify all the traps.

Study the cognitive distortions and traps of consciousness. It will arm you with the knowledge about the pitfalls of your mind.

сол wrote:How to deal with the traps of consciousness and cognitive distortions

to mastoiditis with the Body.

to mastoiditis with the Body.

it is called depersonalization - it is also cognitive dissonance... Which is probably inevitable in order to understand, but then you need to eliminate it and also, coming back to the identification with the body )))

The more you nourish the Mind, the more power it gains over you...
simple answer no longer satisfies....need the complexity and strivings

yeah, that's why cognitive dissonance into two parts (conscious and subconscious) need to see from both points of view, creating in terms of volume (the two poles of the sphere).

And then they need to merge together... This is the logic of the third stage - neither

сол wrote:cognitive dissonance into two parts (conscious and subconscious) need to see from both points of view, creating in terms of volume (the two poles of the sphere).

but it's no more than simple imagination...

It's no more than simple imagination. I. It is nothing less than simple imagination.

It looks like the logic of the second stage )))

well...rephrase=
illusion

will soon learn what is illusion and what is not )) all Sorts of reptilians, gods from heaven on Golden chariots and everything is definitely illusion )))

Aha)))and finds from ancient times too....

and we generally last only *born...

You can call this trap - replaced by memories

It is described in this video

4 series, time 5:00 - somewhere a couple of minutes

http://datalock.ru/player/12792

сол wrote:Can be called the trap - tampered memories

nope...can't....
memories of the Maya are Base....interpretation Yes...possible....but they are one=airplanes)))
made in exact proportions)))if you didn't know))))

It's about your tampered memories. When you a day look at the ten esoteric video... do not strictly need to drag yourself in the head trash. Stick to the music of famous performers - they sing about everything.

All sorts of reptilians and gods from the heavens in chariots is an embedded you false information, you were under hypnosis. And having also seized their own ability to find analogies and to build allegory - you have started to get replaced by memories... It is oblivion, the trap of consciousness.

Who here still doubts our existence? !!!

If little else