Why do people often fall for cognitive biases in decision-making?

People often fall for cognitive biases because their brain uses shortcuts when making choices, just like a robot using a map to find its way.

Imagine you're picking your favorite snack from a bowl full of cookies and candies. Your brain doesn't want to think about every single one, it wants to pick quickly. So instead of checking each one carefully, it might choose the first candy it sees because that's easier. This is like using a shortcut, and it’s called a cognitive bias.

Sometimes your brain uses what it knows best. Like when you wear your favorite shirt every day, you know it fits well and feels good, so you pick it again without thinking. That’s also a kind of shortcut, and it helps you make faster decisions. But sometimes those shortcuts can trick you into choosing something that isn’t the best option.

It's like when your friend says, “This is the best ice cream in town!”, your brain might believe it just because your friend said so, even if the ice cream looks a little weird. That’s also a shortcut, and it helps make decisions faster, but not always the most accurate ones.