Thought
The Humans’ Tricky Thoughts
Understanding the Illusions of Mental Contamination and Cognitive Biases
Don’t you sometimes feel that you are absolutely sure of something and yet come to find out afterward that you were wrong? Our minds can be tricky? So often, they try to convince us that what they are telling us is correct; when, in fact, that is not true. Actually, this is the biggest problem of them all, as it develops into our perception of reality and behavior. This phenomenon, known as mental contamination, which is the state we are influenced by irrelevant factors to make judgments and decisions, and addresses challenges in overcoming biases in thinking and decision-making (Wilson et al., 2002).
Nelson Mandela was sent to prison for 27 years-a situation that few would find bearable. His wife, Winnie, claimed that she was devastated by his imprisonment. Yet, he said, “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” His idea about freedom was different. He found ways to grow, learn, and nurture hope. Indeed, in his autobiography, he wrote that prison gave him an opportunity to reflect and flesh out ideas. This shows that sometimes, our thoughts about a situation can be more distressing than reality, or vise versa. Mandela’s…