The problem is that even though learning to identify and avoid certain biases will affect your behavior, there’s no easy way to articulate those effects. It comes mainly from things not done, not things done.
For instance, upon hearing a fallacious argument, being aware of its fallacies causes the hearer not to believe in it, where he previously would have. Or if he thinks something on his own—previously a bias would have caused him to think a certain thought, which would have led to a certain action. Now, having learned to identify the bias, he doesn’t even generate that thought, but instead another, which leads to him taking a different action. While these things do certainly have an effect, they’re too subtle to identify. You’re not going to know the thoughts you avoided (even if you can try to guess), only the ones you’ve actually thought.
I feel this has largely been the case for me. My behavior has certainly been affected because I now think more clearly. That, I’m pretty certain of. But can I give any concrete examples? I’m afraid not. The effect is on a too subtle of a level for me to properly observe. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any concrete examples, it only means I can’t verbalize them.
The problem is that even though learning to identify and avoid certain biases will affect your behavior, there’s no easy way to articulate those effects. It comes mainly from things not done, not things done.
For instance, upon hearing a fallacious argument, being aware of its fallacies causes the hearer not to believe in it, where he previously would have. Or if he thinks something on his own—previously a bias would have caused him to think a certain thought, which would have led to a certain action. Now, having learned to identify the bias, he doesn’t even generate that thought, but instead another, which leads to him taking a different action. While these things do certainly have an effect, they’re too subtle to identify. You’re not going to know the thoughts you avoided (even if you can try to guess), only the ones you’ve actually thought.
I feel this has largely been the case for me. My behavior has certainly been affected because I now think more clearly. That, I’m pretty certain of. But can I give any concrete examples? I’m afraid not. The effect is on a too subtle of a level for me to properly observe. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any concrete examples, it only means I can’t verbalize them.