By Martin H. Levinson

A cognitive bias refers to systematic errors in one’s thinking. Such biases can skew our perceptions and impair our ability to think clearly. The following five cognitive biases are particularly harmful to rational thought.

The calamity of thinking for yourself

This bias goes against the common sense notion best expressed in the cliché “fifty million Frenchmen can’t be wrong and a hundred million Frenchmen are twice as likely to be right.” Those who exhibit this preference have no fear in voicing dissenting opinions in discussions and believe it is okay to stand out from the group, which makes them pains in the ass to talk to and a real drag in getting things done. These folks refuse to go along to get along, preferring to call ‘em as they sees ‘em, which is a fine philosophy for a baseball umpire but a disaster if you’re working in a bureaucracy or with any collection of people. Anyone with half a brain knows that deferring to the wisdom of the crowd is the best way to survive and prosper. Shakespeare had it right when he said, “To thine own self be true but when you’re dealing with others it is best to blend in with the herd.”

The fallacy that less is more

The idea that less is more is less than smart and more than dumb. Why is that you ask? It’s because we live in the United States of America, a capitalist, consumer-driven society where the right approach to living is more is more. It’s ill-mannered and unpatriotic to not want more than your neighbors, your relatives, your co-workers, and everyone else in the world. Think what would happen if we all bought fewer goods and didn’t care about making lots of money. The American economy would go into the toilet and no one would be able to afford a plumber to fix the damn thing. The only time the notion that less is more makes any sense is when a person wants to do less walking and more driving because motoring to places leads to gas purchases, parking expenditures, and with any luck the buying of spiffier and pricier vehicles.

The misconception that there are alternatives

How one views the world and makes decisions in life is a two-horse horse race that only gets confusing if you add more ponies to the mix. For example, let’s say you’re on a date with someone and need to decide where the two of you should go after dinner. The choices should be obvious—you can go to either their place or yours (consider other options and you may never wind up in bed). Or let’s say you’re having a discussion with a person that turns into an argument. Should you spend time trying to find common ground you both can agree on? Of course not! There are two sides to every argument and if you’re a good rhetorician your side should prevail. You’re either with me or against me, it’s true or it’s not, you’re a success or you’re a failure, they love you or they don’t. Take a stand, make a choice, and forget about reflecting on further possibilities.

The delusion that reading is important

Reading builds vocabulary, promotes analytic thinking skills, improves focus and concentration, provides mental stimulation, and builds memory, all of which were useful attributes for people living during the nineteenth century. But today those virtues are meaningless, as feelings and factoids rule the roost. Reading may be okay for doping out channel selections on cable TV and following posts on Facebook and Twitter but other than that it’s pretty much a waste.

The fact is, reading is passé. Why peruse a 500-page book on WWII when you can learn all about that war in a one-hour special on TV? Why read an article on foreign affairs when you can discover what’s going on overseas via a presidential tweet? Everything is happening now and rather than read and ruminate about it you can access it all with a click.

The misbelief that if you have nothing to say, say nothing

Verbal expression is the mirror of the mind and if you have nothing to say in a situation people will see in that mirror the image of a halfwit. Moreover, it is a given in American society that one should have views and opinions about stuff, and that includes stuff one knows nothing about. Saying, “I don’t know” when asked a question is the same as saying, “You are speaking to a fool.” In point of fact, the less you know about a matter the more you should talk about it, as it really does not matter what you say about a matter but that you’re mattering to venture a thought. If you pontificate well and often enough about things you may be called upon to do guest appearances on cable news shows. From there, who knows where your ignorance will take you.