The (almost) exhaustive list of cognitive biases is incredibly long – and nicely ranked in 4 categories

(via Better Humans)

Cognitives biases are helpful. They are like shortcuts that help us think faster. But it’s essential to be aware of them to think straight. Mostly, we use them to overcome 4 types of problems:

1) too much information

2) not enough meaning

3) need to act fast

4) limited memory

Some types of biases are well-known and documented, like the mere-exposure effect (the fact that you tend to prefer what you see/hear/touch often) or the IKEA effect (the fact that you think something you half-make is of higher value than a ready-made equivalent).

Some others are more arcane, like cryptomnesia (in essence, involuntary plagiarism) or the Lake Wobegon effect (whereby one always tends to overestimate one’s capabilities).

Check out the full list of cognitive biases and continue to marvel at our brain’s limitless limitations!