Category Cognitive Biases
Impact 2 / 5
Also known as: Unrealistic Optimism
Cognitive processing
System 1 (fast, intuitive). Biases often lean on quick judgments (System 1) unless you slow down and analyze (System 2).
Evidence & time
Evidence strength: experimental. Typical read: about 3 min.
Catch it next time
Practical steps for Optimism Bias
1
Perform a "pre-mortem" analysis
high effectivenessmoderate difficulty
Tape this to your desk.
→
Health behaviors (smoking, etc.)
Perform a "pre-mortem" analysis
Effectiveness: high
Difficulty: moderate
05
Potential decision harms
Underestimating risks
major Severity
Lack of preparation
moderate Severity