Bias from Self-Interest — Self Deception and Denial to Reduce Pain or Increase Pleasure

Unveiling the intricate dance between self-interest and bias, we delve into the human tendency for self-deception and denial. Explore how these mechanisms serve to minimize pain and maximize pleasure, shaping our perceptions and decisions in unexpected ways.

Self-Esteem

Important aspect of personal well-being, adjustment, and happiness

• People with higher self-esteem are happier with their lives, have fewer interpersonal problems, achieve at a higher and more consistent level, and give in less to peer pressure
• The strong motivation to preserve a positive and consistent self-image is more than evident in our lives
• We attribute success to our own abilities and failures to environmental factors, and we continuously rate ourselves as better than average on any subjective measure – ethics, beauty, and ability to get along with others
• However, sometimes life is harsh on us and gives few if any reasons for self-love
• And so we come up with ways to straighten our damaged self- image

The Vicious Cycle of Self-Justification

Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson in their book Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts explain the vicious cycle of choices with an analogy of a pyramid.

• We are often at the top of the choice pyramid facing a decision whose consequences are morally ambiguous
• This first choice then starts a process of entrapment of action – justification – further action, which increases the intensity of our commitment
• Over time our choices reinforce themselves and towards the bottom of the pyramid, we find ourselves rolling toward increasingly extreme views

Making Smarter Choices

We are not doomed to live in denial or keep striving to justify our actions. We always have the choice to correct our tendencies, once we recognize them.

• A better understanding of our minds serves as the first step towards breaking the self-justification habit. It takes time, self-reflection, and willingness to become more mindful about our behavior.

Avoiding Reality by Denying It

Denial occurs, when we encounter a serious thought about reality, but decide to ignore it

• In such cases, small doses of denial might serve us well
• We have time to absorb the information slowly and figure out the next steps for action
• However, once denial becomes a prolonged measure for coping with troubling matters, causing our problems to amplify, we are bound to suffer from consequences

Making Things Easier

At the personal level, Charlie Munger suggests we should face two simple facts.

• Fixable, but unfixed bad performance is bad character and tends to create more of itself and cause more damage
• In demanding places like athletic teams, excuses and bad behavior will not get us far
• On the institutional level, Munger advises building a fair, meritocratic, demanding culture plus personnel handling methods that build up morale
• Severance of the worst offenders, when possible

Rationalizing Our Choices

Our tendency to rationalize the choices we have made

• Dissonance bothers us under any circumstances, but it becomes particularly unbearable when our self-concept is threatened by it
• The most obvious way to quiet dissonance is by quitting – it is a simple and failure-free option that allows her to feel good about herself and requires hardly any effort

Source