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The Core Principle
Cognitive biases are systematic errors in thinking that all humans share. These aren't flaws to be ashamed of. They're features that evolved because they worked often enough. A character's biases reveal their humanity, create blind spots that drive plot, and explain why smart people do stupid things.
What This Resource Is
What This Resource Is
91 Cognitive Biases
Nine categories covering memory, decisions, social perception, self-image, probability, confirmation, attention, narrative, and emotion—the ways we deceive ourselves.
In Character
How each bias manifests in character behavior and dialogue—the things characters do and say that reveal their flawed thinking.
In Plot
Story applications—how to use each bias to generate conflict, create dramatic irony, and build satisfying reveals.
Sympathetic Flaws
Biases aren't character defects—they're universal human features. Use them to create relatable characters whose mistakes we understand.
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