(Even When We’re Not)
Have you ever been annoyed by someone for not seeing things the way you do?
Almost like your perceptions and opinions are the most appropriate ones. If everybody just gained some common sense, they would start to agree with you more.
Right?
Well, you’re not alone. We have all been there, assuming that we are the standard for normality. There is actually a name for this cognitive bias in psychology: The False Consensus Effect.
The false consensus effect is a cognitive bias where individuals see their own beliefs and behaviors as the most common and fitting ones. This bias leads to people overestimating the significance of their opinions, beliefs, and preferences.
“We don’t just do whatever we consider normal, We also consider normal whatever we do.” -Gurwinder Bhopal.
Our deep familiarity with ourselves often causes us to unconsciously consider our own experiences as the benchmark for evaluating others. This is problematic because we tend to focus on other people’s…