Understanding how one can self deceive, and having the humility to know that you can’t rely on what you think you know. We all want to view ourselves as rational beings, but that’s the greatest self-deception of all. If you think that you have no biases, and that you can’t rationalize a belief that’s completely wrong, regardless of how educated you feel you are, then this bias can undo any critical thinking skills you may have. Cognitive biases are the result of your brain’s attempt to more easily make sense of the complicated world around you. Your mind tends to take the path of least resistance, unless you make a contentious, higher-energy effort, to step outside what comes naturally. Some biases are related to memory, some to attention, and while they have an adaptive purpose - they can help you make quick decisions in the face of danger - they can also lead to distorted thinking. Metacognition is essentially awareness of your thought processes, “thinking about thinking” - a tool to help minimize these biases so you can ultimately make better decisions. Being aware of your biases, considering how they may influence your thinking, challenging them and thinking about what factors you may have missed. If you are someone who feels angry when presented with new information that contradicts what you believe, or if you feel that your identity is tied to your conclusions, it perhaps may be worthwhile to question that thought process. While we all have some inherent sense of logic, overwhelmingly we are emotional animals. We have the capacity for logic, but logic and critical thinking are trained skills that need to be developed and practiced. The worst cognitive bias is the one you’re not aware of. With an understanding of cognitive biases, we can engage in meta cognitive reasoning. We can overcome our biases by being aware of them, choosing a rational resolution rather than rationalizing a convenient answer. Some thoughts from Dr Stephen Novella from his novel Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills. Highly recommend!