Lessons From "The Art of Thinking Clearly" - Rolf Dobelli
1. Confirmation bias is the mother of all misconceptions.
It is a tendency to interpret new information so that it becomes compatible with our existing theories.
2. Never underestimate the hard work and lower probability of success, just because we are shown more successful people than many more actual failures.
3. Calamity of Conformity
If you ever find yourself in a tight unanimous group, you must speak your mind, even if your team does not like it, and even if it means risking expulsion from the warm nest.
4. Induction
People get inducted into a decision based on history without thinking logically.
5. Loss Aversion
The fear of losing something motivates people more than the prospect of gaining something of equal value.
6. Compounding
When it comes to compounding, don’t trust your intuition - you have no idea how powerful it is.
7. It is not what you say, but how you say, that's important.
99% Fat Free product seems more healthy than a product with 1% Fat.
8. If you are not a part of the solution, you are definitely a part of the problem.
There is no 3rd category of passive onlookers
9. Follow your passion
Follow your passion even if you have to do away with part of your income for that.
10. Whenever you are dealing with averages, be careful of the distribution behind it.
A Bill Gates monthly income in a group of 50 ordinary citizens can give an extremely misleading average.
11. Money does not always motivate.
It works as a motivation only in companies where employees work for only money.
12. Money comes wrapped in emotions.
Money won incidentally, as against earned through hard work, is more likely to be spent irrationally - though it sounds illogical because the money is the same.
13. Self Control drains your energy.
Therefore you need a lot of energy if you want to exercise self control and excel in any specific area of life.
14. Presence of something is more noticeable and valued than its absence.
As an example, presence of disease is much more noticeable than its absence.
15. News is to mind, what sugar is to body.
It is appetizing, easy to digest - and highly destructive in the long run. Try and avoid it as much as you can.
