A systematic error in thinking that affects decisions and judgments, occurring when the brain processes information using mental shortcuts that can lead to deviations from rationality or good judgment. These biases are predictable patterns of thinking that influence perception, memory, and reasoning.
The term emerged in the 1970s from cognitive psychology research by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. 'Cognitive' comes from Latin 'cognoscere' (to know) and 'bias' from Old French 'biais' (oblique), originally referring to the weighted side of a bowling ball that made it curve.
Cognitive biases are like optical illusions for your thinking - they're not flaws but features of how your brain evolved to make quick survival decisions! Your ancestors who quickly assumed rustling bushes contained predators lived longer than those who carefully analyzed each sound, so we inherited brains that jump to conclusions.
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