Adam Grant’s Post

This is absolutely why it’s so valuable to have regular therapy sessions even when, and especially if nothing is going “wrong” in your life: getting an outside expert to help “pen test/Red Team” your thinking processes is so crucial to your personal continuous improvement.

I have worked with some of the greatest minds in the world at some of the world’s best universities and organizations. However, even if I could not find the words for it, I sometimes perceived that they are afflicted by what Adam Grant calls the bias blind spot (perhaps more so than ordinary mortals). This bias could be compounded by a lack of time for those who not only have higher IQ but also more optionality: Bill Gates supposedly faces the opportunity cost of losing tens of thousands of dollars to spend time picking up a note on the sidewalk. This is why www.Facticity.AI is the first LLM app to be not just transparent about the sources it relies on to make true or false or unverifiable judgments but also reveals the ideological skew and reliability of these sources as best as they can be quantified at a given moment. To assist even the or perhaps especially the brightest and time scarce of us to check our bias blind spots in an accurate or timely way before we end up becoming extremely unreliable or partisan. I will soon share more about why my team at seer. is creating this to help us check untruths before ideological polarization becomes even more powerful.

The "I'm not biased bias," also known as the bias blind spot, is indeed a fascinating and somewhat counterintuitive phenomenon. It refers to the tendency of individuals to recognize cognitive biases in others while failing to recognize those same biases in themselves. Interestingly, research suggests that smarter individuals, those who score higher on IQ tests and have greater cognitive abilities, may be more susceptible to this bias. The reasons behind this could be multifaceted: 1. Overconfidence in Cognitive Abilities: Intelligent individuals may develop a stronger sense of confidence in their thinking and decision-making processes. This overconfidence can lead them to believe that they are less prone to biases compared to others. 2. Sophisticated Rationalizations: With higher cognitive skills, people can create more convincing rationalizations for their beliefs and decisions, making it harder for them to see the underlying biases. 3. Perception of Objectivity: Individuals with high intelligence might value rationality and objectivity more, thus feeling compelled to see themselves as models of these traits. This self-perception can mask their biases from their own view. To mitigate the bias blind spot, it's useful to: 1. Seek Feedback: Actively seeking input from others can help illuminate personal blind spots. 2. Cultivate Humility: Acknowledging that everyone, regardless of intelligence, is susceptible to bias can foster a more humble approach to decision-making and belief formation. 3. Engage in Self-Reflection: Regular self-examination and critical thinking about one’s own thought processes can help in recognizing and addressing biases. 4. Diversify Perspectives: Exposing oneself to diverse viewpoints and being open to different perspectives can reduce the impact of blind spots. Understanding and acknowledging the "I'm not biased bias" is a crucial step towards more accurate and fair decision-making and judgment. It reminds us that no one is immune to cognitive biases, and that intelligence alone does not safeguard against them. #NotBiasedBias #IntellectualBlindspot #SmartBias #CognitiveIllusion #PerceptionFallacy #IQBiasTrap #AwarenessOverConfidence #SelfReflectionMatters #BiasAwareness #MindfulIntelligence #RecognizeLimitations #HumbleIQ #SmartNotFlawless #BiasInBrilliance #WiseSelfInsight

It’s important to keep yourself honest. Taking time out to interrogate your own thinking is an important step in making the best decision.

Everyone has biases. But bias alone isn’t the problem. Denying it is. In my work, that’s what I find gets in the way of innovation and progress. But to acknowledge and examine bias, you have to be in an organisation where it’s safe to do that — a team or a company that can learn, not just defend against competition. This is a useful little snippet from Adam Grant on the topic. 👇 How do you reflect on your own biases? #bias #leadership #insight #innovation #design

Adam Grant's latest post raises a crucial question: "What thinking trap worries you most for the future?" This query highlights the significance of identifying and addressing cognitive biases that can impede our decision-making processes and personal development. Grant emphasizes that while our minds are powerful, they are also susceptible to traps like overconfidence, confirmation bias, and resistance to change. In a fast-changing world, the ability to think critically and adapt is essential. Recognizing these traps is the initial step towards fostering a mindset of continuous learning and open-mindedness. For professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders, this message holds particular relevance. In navigating complexities in our careers and industries, understanding our thinking patterns can lead to more innovative solutions and resilient strategies. Let's remain vigilant of these traps, challenge our assumptions, and embrace diverse perspectives to drive meaningful progress. What thinking trap do you strive to overcome on your journey? #Leadership #CognitiveBias #CriticalThinking #PersonalGrowth #ContinuousLearning Link to the original post: [here](https://lnkd.in/dQW-Dje6)

“Intelligence is the ability to think and learn. Wisdom is the quality of your judgement.” 🙌🏻 💡 🙇 🧠 How many of your managers and leaders know the difference? 🤔 And how often do you hear “I’m not [fill in the defensive blank], but….” ? 💭 And how innovative are the decisions and solutions those very same people come up with? #cultureandpsych #geekhour #businesspsychology #foodforthought

I really appreciate how he speaks to the way this particular thinking trap is more common the higher the IQ, and the more 'power' someone has. It feels very connected to the blind spot senior leaders often have that comes from getting less and less meaningful feedback as they gain more and more authority. As leaders, it is essential that we surround ourselves with diverse perspectives and people willing to call out our blind spots and call us in when we are leading from them. This takes incredible courage because it is vulnerable to have our blind spots pointed out. It's also the mark of a leader committed to walking their talk and doing the work. Without these safeguards and support systems, it doesn't matter how wise our theories, how powerful our reach or reputation, we are very likely to lead from our blind spots and cause harm. Because without counter-evidence and strong support - our systems make it easier and easier to believe we have overcome them. When in reality, no one is immune, and we are all blind to them - that's why they are called blind spots. #CultivatingConnection #CourageousLeadership #DareToLead

And now I will spend the rest of my day contemplating how we can understand the “I’m not biased” bias connected to our unreflective trust in technology and now AI. “Intelligence is the ability to think and learn. Wisdom is the quality of your judgment.” We can’t use technology or AI to escape from other people’s biases and certainly not our own either. Everything we feed to AI will be biased, and come out with the same amount of bias. We can make AI context sensitive, to make information more relevant. But it will still be biased. And it won’t be human intelligence, it’s artificial intelligence, artificial thinking and artificial learning. Machines will always be best at being machines. Humans will always be best at being humans. Machines can’t have human cultural awareness, inter-cultural sensitivity and will always struggle to build anything more than relevant information. No human intelligence. No human wisdom. AI is not a thought leader, it’s a thought enabler.

Agreed. We should always turn the mirror back on ourselves and ask what is my contribution, whether conscious or not, whether intended or not, am I playing in this situation? The Johari Window is a good start for this. And as Ronald Short said in Learning in Relationship - it always takes at least two people to have interpersonal relationship issues, not one! ☝️ #leadership #learninginrelationship