philosophy – Life Paraphernalia

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52 Thinking errors you should leave to others

From an evolutionary perspective, our brains are not programmed for the modern world we live in today. This results in thinking errors that should not be underestimated and can have a significant negative impact, e.g., on finances, career, and well-being.

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Overview & central idea

In his bestseller, Rolf Dobelli presents 52 thinking errors, cognitive biases, and typical fallacies that cloud our judgment. From “confirmation bias” to the “halo effect” to the “clustering illusion,” the book is a compendium of psychological pitfalls that accompany us in our everyday lives, at work, and when making decisions. The goal: to raise awareness of these errors in order to think more clearly, rationally, and calmly.

Structure & content

Short chapters: Each of the 52 chapters is devoted to a single error in thinking, compactly presented in 3–5 pages.
Relevance to everyday life: Examples are taken from economics, history, psychology, or everyday situations.
Language: concise, understandable, sometimes pointed and humorous.

Examples of cognitive biases covered:

Survivorship bias – We only see the successful and forget the invisible ones who have failed.
Confirmation bias – We only look for information that supports our opinion.
Action bias – We prefer to act immediately, even when doing nothing would be smarter.
Halo effect – A single positive characteristic overshadows our overall judgment.
Clustering illusion – We recognize patterns where there is actually only coincidence.

Impact & benefits

Dobelli does not offer ready-made solutions, but rather aims to raise awareness. He does not advocate a “perfectly rational” life, but rather greater distance from our spontaneous misjudgments. Those who recognize the patterns can pause at crucial moments and make better decisions—whether in finance, career, or personal relationships.