Truth, Deception & Systems of Power
Scholarly SynthesisCognitive Bias

A Field Guide to the Biases That Fool You

The handful of predictable thinking errors that propaganda and feeds exploit most.

Most manipulation works by renting biases you already have. The high-leverage few: confirmation bias (seeking what fits your view), availability (vivid examples feel common), anchoring (first numbers stick), in-group/out-group framing (tribe over truth), and the fundamental attribution error (their bad acts are character; ours are circumstance). Kahneman's 'fast' system makes these automatic; the 'slow' system can override them but is lazy and tires easily. You cannot delete biases, but you can install friction: seek disconfirming evidence on purpose, check base rates, separate the claim from the claimant, and slow down on anything that arrives pre-loaded with outrage. Awareness plus procedure beats willpower.
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