The factory default settings of the human brain were essential in the past to secure our survival.
In modern times, however, that inner con man plays tricks on us that can end quite costly.
…is themselves. That’s right, the single largest risk to investors is themselves. By that, I, of course, mean the influence of human emotion and psychology in decision making. It seems quite clear to me that humans are uniquely wired incorrectly for long-term…
At the beginning of each year, there’re many pundits, experts, self-proclaimed gurus, and other suspicious characters who’d like to sell you stuff predicting the directions of the Stock Markets. As I personally have ample years of experience in the Stock Markets…
It’s that time of the year again, when avalanches of New Year’s resolutions are launched with idealistic plans for drastic self-improvement in 2016. We resolve to quit drinking, smoking, or both. We resolve to help others and to spend more time with our friends and…
I can literally envision all you regular readers rolling your eyes at yet another “brainy” post and thinking: “Tacomob, haven’t you written more than enough about the brain already? Isn’t there some other topic on your mind?” Of course there is, and that’s why I am…
Recently there has been a lively discussion among the Singapore Financial Blogger Scene about ‘Net Worth’ and how it should/could/may be computed (here, here, and here). This showed me how imperfect and susceptible to bias we all are. We are…
Do you believe in a just world? Most of us do. Simply because we assume that bad things will befall bad people, and good things, to good people. The bad news is that it doesn’t always play out that way and also that the world…
Do you know what is the central element of good decision-making? It is actually one’s ability to manage delay. Yes, our ability to think about delay is a central part of the human condition and it’s a gift, a tool that we can—and should—use to examine…
Have you ever had—while driving—that extraordinary experience where anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, while anyone driving faster is a maniac? That, my dear reader, is an example of the Correspondence Bias in full-blown action. Generally, this bias refers to the tendency…
A few weeks ago, I wrote herewithin about a natural phenomenon: When things go well, we tend to ascribe our success to our abilities—our disposition. But when they go wrong, we tend to blame external factors—our situation. Finished. Done. Quick conclusion. Move on. But wait…
In psychology, there is the term “Information Bias” which is the tendency to seek information when it doesn’t affect our actions. Nevertheless, more information isn’t always better. The instinctual shortcut that we take when we have “too much information” is to…