Ever make decisions without evaluating the pros and cons?
Looking for an excuse to justify why things never seem to go your way?
Well, this attempt to justify actions and beliefs as objectively correct, even if it is illogical and lacks evidence, is not healthy.
You are definitely falling into the self-serving bias trap!
Learn what Self-serving bias is, how it works, who falls for it, and how to guard against it in your own life.
Understanding “Self-Serving Bias.”
Self-serving bias refers to the inclination to credit ourselves for positive outcomes while blaming external factors for negative outcomes.
Haven’t we experienced it? Scoring less or failing a test and blaming the teacher for not preparing us well or giving out-of-syllabus questions. And take all credit for doing well on a test.
This is something that we have all experienced at some point, such as when we score poorly on a test and blame the teacher for not preparing us well or giving out-of-syllabus questions. It is always easier for us to blame someone else for failures and take credit for our successes – even if we don’t deserve it. But unfortunately, this tendency is part of being human, and we must try and stop ourselves from doing so.
Self-serving bias can be seen in various contexts, from individuals in their personal lives to organizations and nations on a larger scale. For instance, a company may attribute its success to its efforts and strategies while blaming external factors, such as the economy, for any failures. Similarly, a country may take credit for its positive achievements while blaming other countries for any negative outcomes.
While this bias can help protect our self-esteem, it’s important to recognize it and take responsibility for our actions and outcomes. By acknowledging our role in both our successes and failures, we can learn from our mistakes and work towards achieving our goals more effectively.
The Exploited And The Exploiters
Individuals who exhibit self-serving bias are inclined to take credit for their accomplishments while blaming others when things do not go as planned. They tend to overlook that they might have played a role in the outcome or at least share some responsibility.
Moreover, people in the individual’s surroundings – such as colleagues, friends, family, and society – may perpetuate this attitude by encouraging their self-serving behavior. This can include praising their successes with no mention of their shortcomings or failures.
Day To Day Self-Serving Bias
- An employee takes credit for another colleague’s hard work and blames them for their failure.
- When someone attributes their own success to sheer luck, but others’ failures to lack of effort or ability.
- When a driver blames “the other person” for causing an accident instead of admitting they were speeding or distracted at the time of the crash.
- An investor credits their stock gains to careful analysis while ignoring losses as bad luck.
Recognizing When You’re Slipping Into the Self-Serving Bias Trap
One of the most effective ways to identify if you are falling into the trap of Self-serving Bias is to ask yourself whether your beliefs or decisions are serving you in a positive way. Next, consider the potential risks and rewards of taking action and any evidence that may challenge what you think or believe.
Additionally, seek feedback from people who can offer an unbiased opinion, such as a trusted friend or mentor.
Finally, take time to thoroughly examine any potential biases in your decision-making process and carefully consider any potential consequences before making an informed decision.
Overcoming the Self-Serving Bias Trap
Acknowledge your biases
Admitting to yourself that you have biases is the first step in escaping their trap.
Develop objectivity
Once you’ve acknowledged your biases, it’s important to actively cultivate objectivity by seeking out conflicting viewpoints and opinions.
Surround yourself with different perspectives
Exposing yourself to different points of view can help reduce the impact of Self-serving Bias by giving you a fuller picture of any given situation or topic.
Make decisions based on evidence
Instead of relying on your personal opinion or assumptions, make decisions based on facts, data, and evidence.
Analyze your motives
Analyzing your motives for making certain decisions can help identify when feelings drive behavior instead of fact-based information and logic.
Ask for feedback
Seeking unbiased feedback from outside sources can provide valuable insight into how our biases may influence behavior or decisions.
Reflect and fearn
Examining situations where Self-serving Bias has occurred can also help us learn from our mistakes and become more aware of it in the future.
Final Thoughts
We’ve all been there, and we make a mistake or suffer a setback and immediately start looking for someone or something else to blame. But the truth is, constantly pointing fingers at others when we fail or go down is not just unproductive; it’s also unhealthy, whether it is giving excuses for our shortcomings or attributing success to personal qualities or abilities.
It is a natural, if flawed, defense mechanism that helps us protect our ego and self-esteem. But the problem is that when we constantly blame others for our failures, we never take responsibility for our actions.
We never learn from our mistakes and never grow or improve as individuals. Instead, we get trapped in a vicious cycle of blaming others and feeling sorry for ourselves, which only holds us back. Self-serving bias is treacherous with many negative outcomes, so next time, indulge in holistic solutions and not be selfish.
Also, remind yourself that the other four fingers point at you! It is vital to recognize these biases to make more balanced judgments and accurate self-assessments. Having taken a closer look at Self-serving bias and how it can impact how we see and understand reality, would you stop pointing fingers at others? Good read? And kindly subscribe to our newsletter!
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.