The contrast effect is a cognitive bias that distorts our perception of something when we compare it to something else, by enhancing the differences between the things being compared. For example, the contrast effect can make a sweet drink taste bland if you drink it immediately after drinking something sweeter, and can make an …
Carpe diem is a Latin phrase that means “seize the day”. It encourages people to focus on the present, appreciate the value of every moment in life, and avoid postponing things unnecessarily, because every life eventually comes to an end. For example, the principle of ‘carpe diem’ suggests that if there’s an event that …
A slippery slope is an argument which claims that an initial action could lead to a chain of events with an extreme result, or that if we treat one case a certain way then we’ll have to treat more extreme cases the same way too. For example, a slippery slope argument might claim that …
The economic man (or homo economicus) is a conceptualization of people as ideal decision-making machines, with flawless rationality, unlimited cognitive capacity, perfect access to information, and a narrow range of consistent, self-interested goals. Roughly speaking, this means that the homo economicus can be seen as someone who only cares about maximizing things such as …
A false dilemma (or false dichotomy) is a logical fallacy that occurs when a limited number of options are wrongly presented as being mutually exclusive or the only available options. For example, a false dilemma occurs when someone says that we must choose between options A or B, without mentioning that we can pick …
Cui bono is a Latin phrase that means “who benefits?”, and is used to suggest that there’s a high probability that those responsible for a certain event are the ones who stand to gain from it. For example, if a certain crime has been committed, ‘cui bono’ suggests that the person who committed that …
The golden rule is a moral principle which denotes that you should treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. For example, the golden rule means that if you want people to treat you with respect, then you should treat them with respect too. The golden rule is an important philosophical principle, …
An availability cascade is a self-reinforcing process where a certain stance gains prominence in public discourse, which makes people more likely to believe it and spread it further. For example, an availability cascade could occur in a situation where a news story triggers a wave of public discussion of a topic such as climate …
Cherry picking is a logical fallacy where someone focuses only on evidence that supports their stance, while ignoring evidence that contradicts it. For example, a person who engages in cherry picking might mention only a small selection of studies out of all the ones available on a certain topic, to make it look as if …
Bikeshedding (also referred to as the law of triviality) describes a phenomenon where people spend excessive resources—especially time and energy—dealing with relatively minor issues. For example, a corporate committee that engages in bikeshedding might spend more time discussing the construction of a small bikeshed compared to the construction of an advanced technological facility, simply because …