Look wider
Widen your view to uncover overlooked information and insights.
How often do you realize you've missed key information after making a decision?
Are you aware we tend to focus only on the information we have on hand?
What important details might you be overlooking by not seeking additional information?
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Humans have natural tendencies that can sometimes lead us astray, leading us to rely only on the information that is immediately available while overlooking what might be missing. Here are some key areas where this can be harmful:
👉 Decision-making – If we make decisions based only on what we see or know at the moment, we might overlook critical information. For example, investing in a stock just because it recently performed well, without considering long-term trends or risks, can lead to poor financial choices.
👉 Judging people – We often form quick opinions based on limited interactions or first impressions, without realizing there’s more to someone’s background, motivations, or struggles. This can lead to unfair judgments and misunderstandings.
👉 Problem-solving – When solving a problem, we might assume the information in front of us is complete and miss crucial hidden factors. For example, a manager might blame an employee’s performance on laziness without considering workplace stress or unclear instructions.
👉 Planning and goal-setting – Focusing only on the benefits of a goal while ignoring potential challenges can leave us unprepared for obstacles. For example, launching a business without researching market competition increases the risk of failure.
👉 Health and safety – People might assume they are healthy just because they feel fine, overlooking the importance of regular checkups or screenings. Similarly, someone might dismiss safety precautions just because they’ve never personally witnessed an accident.
👉 News and media consumption – Relying on a single news source can give us a false sense of having the full picture, when in reality, other perspectives or important facts may be missing. This can lead to biased opinions and a limited understanding of events.
By recognizing these tendencies and actively challenging them, we can make more informed choices, avoid unnecessary mistakes, and develop a broader, more accurate perspective. Taking the time to look beyond what is immediately available helps us see the bigger picture, leading to better decisions and a deeper understanding of the world around us.
To help with this, use the following question list for looking wider. These questions will challenge your thinking, highlight gaps in your knowledge, and expand your perspective before making decisions or judgments.
Question list for looking wider
This list includes questions to help you identify potential gaps in your knowledge. For each question, there is a brief description of the related cognitive bias that might influence your judgment.
🤔 What important information might I be overlooking or missing?
🔗 WYSIATI bias (What You See Is All There Is) – Assuming the information you have is the full picture without considering what’s missing.
🤔 What information might I be missing because it’s not as easy to remember?
🔗 Availability heuristic – Relying only on recent or memorable information instead of looking at the bigger picture.
🤔 What important details might I be ignoring because I’m too focused on one aspect?
🔗 Focusing illusion – Placing too much importance on what you focus on while neglecting other key factors.
🤔 What facts might I be overlooking because I’m only looking for information that confirms what I already believe?
🔗 Confirmation bias – Paying attention to evidence that supports your views while ignoring facts that challenge them.
🤔 What evidence might I be missing because I’m accepting this information as true without questioning it?
🔗 Truth bias – Assuming something is true just because you heard or read it, without verifying the facts.
🤔 What perspective might I be overlooking because I’m influenced by how the information is presented?
🔗 Framing effect – Letting the wording or presentation of information shape your interpretation instead of considering all perspectives.
🤔 What other possibilities might I be missing because I assume I “knew it all along”?
🔗 Hindsight bias – Believing an event was more predictable than it actually was, making it harder to learn from past experiences.
🤔 What complexity or uncertainty might I be missing because I’m creating a simple story?
🔗 Narrative fallacy – Believing neat, cause-and-effect explanations instead of considering how random or complicated reality can be.
🤔 What potential risks or challenges might I be overlooking because I assume things will turn out well?
🔗 Optimism bias – Overestimating the likelihood of positive outcomes while underestimating risks, which can lead to unrealistic expectations or poor planning.
🤔 What positive information might I be overlooking because I’m too focused on the negative?
🔗 Negativity bias – Focusing more on bad news, risks, or setbacks while overlooking positive aspects, which can lead to unnecessary pessimism or fear-based decisions.
This list helps you think more critically and recognize blind spots when gathering and interpreting information.
Tools for looking wider
This list includes tools to help you recognize gaps in your knowledge and broaden your perspective.
⚒️ The possibility grid
The possibility grid is a simple tool that helps us identify important information we might be overlooking by making all possible combinations between factors and outcomes visible. It allows us to see not just the most obvious factor but also the less visible ones, giving us a more complete perspective.
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Developing the habit of looking wider allows us to make better decisions, avoid unnecessary pitfalls, and gain a more complete understanding of the world. While we can’t eliminate biases entirely, we can learn to recognize them and adjust our thinking accordingly. By questioning our assumptions and seeking out missing information, we become more curious, open-minded, and knowledgeable.
References
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