Predictably Irrational: Cognitive Biases that Hijack Your Brain (and What to Do About It)

Ever walk into the grocery store for one thing and walk out $87 later wondering what just happened?

Yeah… me, too.

I once went in for cat treats and somehow left with freshly baked sour dough bread, organic fig jam, and a candle that “smells like intention.” Why? Because my brain is wired to make fast, emotional decisions—and retailers know exactly how to exploit that wiring.

We'd all like to think that we are rational thinkers and decision makers most of the time. The truth is, we are predictably irrational. Not because we’re careless or impulsive—but because we’re human.

Cognitive biases are running the show more than we realize.

Our brains are wired for efficiency. We’re constantly bombarded with information, so the brain leans on mental shortcuts—called heuristics—to help us manage all the incoming data.

But here’s the catch: these shortcuts aren’t always accurate. In fact, they’re often responsible for inaccurate assumptions and poor decisions.

I’ll give you an example. I once had a team member who always pushed back in meetings. No matter the idea, “John” could always find a reason it wouldn’t work. I thought, “Why does he always have to be so difficult?” And then one day, another teammate praised John for preventing a really costly error on a recent project.

That’s when it hit me:This wasn’t about John at all. This was about my bias.

It’s called confirmation bias—and once it takes hold, we stop seeing facts and start filtering for patterns that reinforce what we already believe.

In leadership, that can be dangerous. Because cognitive biases don’t just influence what we buy…They shape how we lead, who we promote, and which voices we hear—or silence.

Neuroscientists estimate that less than 10% of our cognitive processes happen in our conscious awareness. That means about 90% of the judgements, decisions, and perceptions of what’s going on around us are invisible influences on the mental models we create of the world.

The brain is complex but not impossible to understand. Learning how the brain works and how to make it work better means that we have to recognize not just its abilities, but also its vulnerabilities. Ironically, one of those vulnerabilities is the brain’s struggle for efficiency – we know this to be cognitive bias, and none of us are immune from it.

A cognitive bias is a systematic deviation from rational judgment that often leads to lead to perceptual distortion, inaccurate judgment, illogical interpretation, or what is broadly referred to as irrationality. In simpler terms, it is how our brain has evolved to operate more efficiently and compensate for limited resources or processing ability.

Biases arise from a variety of mental processes including:

· information-processing overload

· mental “noise” (memory deficiencies)

· emotional and moral motivations

· social influence

From pricing tricks that nudge us to spend more, to snap judgments about people we just met, these invisible forces shape our thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs more than we’d like to admit. Let’s break down a few of the most common culprits:

Anchoring Bias:

First impressions stick—hard.When you see a shirt marked down from $150 to $80, your brain says “deal!” But that $150 was likely just an anchor. We rely too heavily on the first piece of information we're given—even when it’s irrelevant.

🧠 Brain Tip: Start questioning the first number, offer, or idea you encounter. Ask: “What would I think if I hadn’t seen that first?”

Confirmation Bias:

We love being right. So much that we ignore facts.Once we form a belief, we subconsciously seek out information that supports it—and dismiss anything that contradicts it.

🧠 Brain Tip: Try playing devil’s advocate with yourself. Actively look for evidence that challenges your beliefs. It's uncomfortable—but it’s also how we grow.

Availability Heuristic:

If it’s vivid or emotional, it feels more real.You hear about a shark attack on the news and suddenly cancel your beach trip. Statistically? You’re more likely to be injured by a vending machine. But the emotional punch makes shark attacks feel more probable.

🧠 Brain Tip: Don’t confuse dramatic with likely. Step back and look at the actual data when fear or urgency creeps in.

The Framing Effect:

How something is presented changes how we feel about it.“90% fat-free” sounds way better than “10% fat,” right? Same product, different frame. Marketers, politicians, and even your coworkers use this all the time.

🧠 Brain Tip: Ask yourself: Am I reacting to the facts—or the frame?

The Bottom Line: You’re Not Broken—You’re Human

Cognitive biases aren’t flaws—they’re features. They evolved to help us make quick decisions when we didn’t have time to weigh every option. The problem is, in today’s complex world, those same shortcuts can lead us astray.

But here’s the good news:The more we understand these patterns, the more power we have to override them. Whether you’re leading a team, designing a guest experience, or just trying to resist that second donut, awareness is the first step to smarter decisions.