What does investing in a dearest hobby, committing to a significant other, and staying in one job have in common?
Is it that we have worked hard for something and do not want to lose it?
But just focusing solely on the hard work put in, do we tend to disregard any potential drawbacks?
Will all our efforts be rewarded in the end, even when there’s no guarantee this will happen?
This is your mind asking you to justify your efforts.
Learn what effort justification is, the real-life experiences it affects, and who takes advantage of it, and discover ways to guard against this cognitive bias.
Understanding the Effort Justification
Effort justification is a way of thinking in psychology. It means that people believe something is worthwhile if they put effort into getting it, even if it has little value. This bias arises from the human need for consistency between attitudes and actions, where individuals feel compelled to justify their efforts to maintain internal consistency.
Take the case of this neighbor; it was a battle of wills between my neighbor and his beloved coconut tree. On one side, my neighbor had spent 30 years nurturing and caring for the tree. On the other side, the tree’s roots were causing trouble, infiltrating into surrounding house compounds and foundations.
The irony here is that this person did not want the tree cut at one end because he was so attached to it. At the other end, people who had built their houses with hard-earned money wanted the tree gone!
Any takeaways from this incident?
When you invest much time, energy, or resources into something, you will likely view the outcome as valuable, even if it may not be objectively true. Effort justification can be seen as an adaptive response that can pay off when you stick to something and see it through.
The decisions or actions taken are more emotional rather than logical ones. It is a balancing act between commitment, critical thinking, awareness, and focus, so one can make sound decisions that align with your goals.
Exploited And Exploiters
The typical victims of effort justification are those who have invested considerable time and energy into something, whether it be an investment, relationship, job, or hobby, and are now refusing to let go of it despite clear signs that it may not be as beneficial as initially thought.
On the other hand those who take advantage of this bias include unscrupulous salespeople who use high-pressure tactics to pressure their targets into making bad decisions. They also often rely on the victim’s emotional attachment to the “thing” in question to extract maximum profits for themselves.
Day-To-Day Effort Justification
- A Person working a tedious job because they have been at it for so long and do not want to “waste” all their hard work.
- A weary traveler who continues investing in an underwhelming vacation simply because they paid so much upfront.
- Someone who keeps donating to an ineffective charity because they have been giving money to that cause for years and hate the idea of “giving up now.”
- The student who spends hours on a project refuses to accept help even when it is clear that their work is going nowhere.
Recognizing When You Are Slipping Into The Effort Justification Trap
One way to identify if you are falling into the trap of effort justification is to step back and take a more objective look at your situation. Ask yourself, “Am I continuing to invest in this because it is a good idea or because I do not want to feel like my effort has been wasted?”
At this point, getting an outside opinion from someone less emotionally invested in the project or decision can be helpful. This can help clarify whether continuing down the same path is truly justified.
Overcoming the Effort Justification
- Reflect on the value of your efforts: Take time to reflect on them and assess whether they are worth what they cost you.
- Consider alternate options: Ask yourself if there may be a better alternative that requires less effort or has greater returns in terms of satisfaction or rewards.
- Set a budget for exerting effort: Decide how much effort you will put forth before taking action and stick to it.
- Reassess investments regularly: Review your assets often so you can make adjustments as necessary.
- Talk to others about it: It’sIt’sIt’sIt’s important to get insight from someone who is outside of your situation and has no emotional attachment to it, so seek out advice from friends, family, or other professionals who can help provide a fresh perspective on the matter.
- Break up tasks into smaller pieces: If a task feels too daunting, break up the project into small chunks that feel more manageable and give yourself goals along the way to completion so that each step feels like an accomplishment instead of an endless struggle toward success.
- Reward yourself for completion: Finally, once you have achieved what you set out to do, reward yourself in some way for all of the hard work you put in!
Final Thoughts
Back in the day, sweet shops started cropping up all around Bangalore, but many grandmothers – like my own and probably yours did not take too kindly to them. Firstly, they seemed to make everything too easy. Secondly, and most importantly, they felt that store-bought sweets could never compare to the ones they made themselves.
After all, their process involved selecting the finest ingredients, tirelessly handcrafting each condiment and pouring loads of love into every step. When they saw their family, friends, and neighbors enjoy their delicacies, their pride and sense of accomplishment justified their efforts and made it all worthwhile.
It is human nature to want to feel like our efforts are justified. Still, it is crucial to acknowledge when we might be overvaluing the effort put in when evaluating the result.
When you are so busy at work or tired and lack the time and energy to craft sweets for the upcoming occasion, don’t you think the shop-bought sweets will be able to satiate your taste buds?
It becomes important to recognize that sometimes shortcuts or other options might be just as valuable, if not more so. The next time you put a lot of effort into something, and want to feel justified in your actions, then take a moment to consider only the result. Examine whether the output is genuinely worth the effort that went into it or whether there were more efficient ways to achieve your goal.
Finally
Understanding the potential risks and rewards can be a great way to ensure we make balanced decisions in life. For those looking for more tips on recognizing and managing effort justification, don’t hesitate to subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates!
Reference
The above article is based on the book Thinking Clearly; this article is here to help us learn and understand how our minds can be tricked by something called cognitive biases.