Why do we experience cognitive biases that affect our decisions?

We have cognitive biases that help us make quick choices, but sometimes they trick us into making not-so-smart decisions.

Imagine you're choosing between two ice cream cones, one is your favorite flavor, chocolate, and the other is a new one, like strawberry swirl. You pick chocolate because it's familiar and feels safe. That’s your bias, liking what you know. It’s like having a best friend who always tells you what to do.

Your brain is like a busy chef in a kitchen. Every day, it has to cook up lots of decisions, what to eat, where to go, even how to feel about something new. To make things faster, your brain uses shortcuts, or biases, that help you decide quickly without thinking too hard.

But sometimes those shortcuts lead you astray, like when you pick chocolate every time, even if the strawberry swirl is better this time. Your brain just wants to keep things simple and familiar.