The brain prioritizes survival over accuracy from "summary" of Your Brain Is Playing Tricks on You by Albert Moukheiber
When faced with a potential threat, your brain goes into survival mode, activating a complex system that prepares you to fight or flee. This system, known as the stress response, can be triggered by various stimuli, ranging from actual physical danger to more abstract threats like social rejection or failure. In these situations, your brain’s primary goal is to ensure your survival, even if it means sacrificing accuracy for speed. To achieve this goal, your brain relies on a set of cognitive shortcuts known as heuristics. These mental rules of thumb allow you to make quick decisions based on limited information, helping you react rapidly to potential threats. While heuristics can be incredibly useful in dangerous situations, they can also lead to errors in judgment when accuracy is more important than speed. One common heuristic that your brain uses in survival mode is known as the availability heuristic. This mental shortcut involves estimating the likelihood of an event based on how easily it comes to mind. In a life-threatening situation, your brain may prioritize information that suggests immediate danger, even if it is not necessarily the most accurate or relevant data available. Another cognitive shortcut that your brain relies on in survival mode is the confirmation bias. This tendency to seek out information that confirms your existing beliefs can be helpful when making quick decisions under pressure. However, it can also lead to errors in judgment if you ignore contradictory evidence that could be crucial for accurately assessing a situation.- When your brain is focused on survival, it prioritizes speed and efficiency over accuracy and thoroughness. While this approach can be lifesaving in dangerous situations, it can also cause you to overlook important details or make snap judgments that are not based on all the available information. By understanding how your brain prioritizes survival over accuracy, you can learn to recognize when these cognitive shortcuts may be influencing your decisions and take steps to counteract their effects.
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