#30in30 – Burying our Heads in the Sand

I am not sure whether the saying “to bury one’s head in the sand” is known worldwide. In Germany it is associated with ostriches, allegedly burying their head to avoid danger. Of course, this is a mere fairy tale. But from the image in our mind, we can draw interesting conclusions – for our personal…

Jurists: How to Outsmart Those Outsmarting You

(Reading time: 5 min read)

In the light of our rationality campaign at the ChampionsTrophy 2017, we decided to repost this thought provoking article. It explaines quite well how behavioural science serves the legal profession as well as your individual career. The ChampionsTrophy is an annual sports event in which the best legal and business students from all over Europe are paticipating. We are glad to engage with the participants regarding rational decision-making.

Confirmation Bias Affecting the Legal Profession

(Reading time: 3 min read)

“Although the phenomenon of confirmation bias would appear to be contrary to the notion that the legal profession requires, the application of an objective mind, the manner in which litigation – civil and criminal – is both conducted and adjudicated is closely aligned to a remarkable degree with this phenomenon.” – Hogan Lovells

Jurists: How to Outsmart Those Who are Outsmarting You

(Reading time: 5 min read)

Keith Stanovich discovered by testing rationality and unbiased decision-making that higher intelligence does not automatically lead to better decisions. People with high cognitive abilities are more likely to have a “bias blind spot”. It is harder for them to see their own errors.

Read this short essay on how you can start to outsmart your co-workers.

Get Accuracy by Leaving Your Comfort Zone

(Reading time: 3 min read)

The confirmation bias is one of the most common biases in our everyday life. Like other biases it hinders us to make conclusions on a rational basis and therefore can lead to poor or faulty choices.

Where do your beliefs and opinions come from? Most people like to think that their beliefs are the result of experience and objective analysis of the information they have available. However, the reality might be different.