If you could push a button to eliminate one cognitive bias, which would you choose?

MalcolmOcean

I realize this question is contrived, but I figure it might provoke some fun discussion, so here goes:

If you could push a button and have your brain modified to precisely remove a cognitive bias (and have no other unnecessary effects—most convenient possible world), which would you choose? Why?

What if you were choosing for the whole human race?

I realize this question is contrived, but I figure it might provoke some fun discussion, so here goes:

What if you were choosing for the whole human race?

Counterpoint: what cognitive bias would you most like to increase in magnitude?

I would go for the just world fallacy, as I think it is a broadly accurate and useful heuristic that is unfairly maligned.

It is not intuitively clear to my why would be the AIDS stigma completely unjust, I was pounded into me from the age of 13 to never leave the house without carrying condoms, to me not using them is the equivalent of not using seat belts.

Are there actually parents who do that?

As far as I know, basically everyone agrees their children should be prevented from having sex for as long as possible. No, I don't know how this makes any sense, given that for as long as possible is forever—unless you get raped, I guess. At any rate, giving you condoms implies you mi... (read more)

5irrational_crank11y

I'm not sure whether I would want the level of belief in the just world to increase. According to the same ever-so-reliable wikipedia article, belief in it is associated with belief in "blaming the victim" (e.g people blaming rape victims, or stigmatizing those with diseases, especially AIDS) which is clearly wrong most of the time. It's a comforting idea, and might in theory provoke more moral behavior if people apply it to themselves, but equality of opportunity must be achieved first otherwise it will just result in more irrational and unfair judgement about others.