One of the most common biases almost all of us suffer from regularly is the Self-Serving Bias, where we are always ready to take credit for success but no blame for failure.
I get top marks in an exam or overachieve on my sales target for the month; it’s all because of my efforts, my skills, and my competence.
But what do I do when I don’t hit my sales target or bungle in my exam? I give excuses and attribute the failure to external factors. The exam was tough, or the target was unrealistic ….
Taking responsibility for our failures can feel threatening. And, to avoid owning up to our actions and learning to change, we tend to form biases about others’ behavior to justify our own.
So, the next time you find yourself negatively judging someone or pushing blame in their direction, take a step back and ask yourself two simple questions: Am I taking responsibility for my own actions in this situation? What more could I have done? You will find yourself avoiding the lure of the self-serving bias.