Mental Biases that can cloud discernment

 1. Confirmation Bias

We welcome information that supports what we already believe and resist what challenges it.

2. Complexity Bias

We prefer a simple lie over a complex truth.

3. Community Bias

It’s hard to see something our group doesn’t want us to see — we often put tribe over truth.

4. Complementarity Bias

We mirror how others treat us. When people are kind, we’re more open; when they’re harsh, we close off — regardless of truth.

5. Contact Bias

Without genuine contact with others, we can’t easily see from their point of view.

6. Conservative / Liberal Bias

We tend to see as our political or social group sees, flocking toward those who confirm our worldview.

7. Consciousness Bias

Our level of awareness or maturity determines what we can and cannot perceive.

8. Competency Bias

We assume we’re above average and fail to accurately judge our own competence.

 9. Confidence Bias

We mistake confidence for competence — believing the confident lie over the hesitant truth.

10. Conspiracy Bias

When feeling shame or fear, we gravitate toward stories that make us the hero or victim rather than the villain.

11. Comfort / Complacency / Convenience Bias

We embrace information that lets us stay comfortable and reject what requires effort or change.

 12. Catastrophe / Normalcy / Baseline Bias

We assume what feels normal will continue, making us slow to notice gradual threats or disasters.

13. Cash Bias

We tend to see reality through the lens of our livelihood — prioritizing what supports our income and ignoring what challenges it.

Awareness of these biases helps us see more clearly — and more compassionately — in a complex world.