Human beings are designed to hate uncertainty, often equating it with threat. One solution to this is that we simplify reality using schemas – which are quick-and-dirty approximations of reality. They work remarkably well, but also lead to systematic errors and biases. These errors are exaggerated by the fact that the world we now live in is in so many significant ways not the kind of world that these short-cuts were designed for. These built-in biases are all about reducing anxiety and threat. For example, we love the feeling of being right - probably more so than just about anything else! Once something has proven predictive in the past it is mapped onto our opinions of the present – even if there is lots of evidence against it. We explore ways to overcome these errors including relaxing, practising ‘negative capability’, connecting and sharing with others and mindfulness practices to develop equanimity.
