We map 17 common cognitive biases that shape how we judge people, weigh risk, and make choices, then show simple ways to trade certainty for curiosity and move from autopilot to agency. The aim is not perfection, but practical awareness that leads to better decisions.

• egocentric and self‑serving biases color self‑perception
• fundamental attribution error and the empathy gap with others
• halo effect and the cost of first impressions
• hindsight bias and memory rewriting
• availability and recency biases skew risk and performance
• stereotypes and false priors shortcut people into boxes
• binary bias flattens nuance into all‑or‑nothing
• in‑group bias and the pull of tribal loyalty
• bandwagon bias and social proof over logic
• authority bias and status signals overriding doubt
• loss aversion, status quo bias, and the endowment effect
• sunk cost fallacy and how to exit cleanly
• survivorship bias and base rates for realism
• framing effect and how language steers judgment
• practical tools: name the bias, add context, choose future‑first

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**Legal Disclaimer**
The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.

Ever feel certain you’re right… until the facts don’t move the needle? We unpack the hidden architecture of your mind—the cognitive biases that color every argument, purchase, scroll, and self-judgment—and show how small shifts in awareness can change everything. Rather than treating your brain like a camera or computer, we reframe it as a painter, filling in gaps with familiar colors: confirmation bias and my-side bias select the evidence that flatters us, while desirability bias makes wishful thinking feel like truth.

We dive into confident humility by naming the traps that inflate or deflate our self-perception. The spotlight effect fuels insecurity by convincing us everyone notices our flaws. The objectivity illusion whispers that we’re less biased than “those people.” And the Dunning–Kruger effect explains why knowing a little can make us dangerously sure, while deeper expertise restores healthy doubt. You’ll learn how to stress-test your certainty, invite disconfirming evidence, and keep curiosity alive without surrendering conviction.

Fear-based biases also skew our map of reality. Negativity bias makes bad news sticky; declinism and conservatism bias keep us nostalgic for a past that never fully existed. Then there’s the anchoring bias, where first numbers and first impressions frame value and character, and pessimism aversion—the ostrich move—where we avoid hard truths about money, health, or the planet. We translate these concepts into action with a one-week game: label biases as they arise, question anchors before deciding, and turn overwhelming headlines into concrete, right-sized steps.

By the end, you’ll have a practical toolkit to spot distortions, lower the temperature of debates, and make cleaner choices under uncertainty. Share this with a friend who loves mindset upgrades, and if it helped you think clearer, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: which bias did you catch first?

We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.

https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com

If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:
sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com

**Legal Disclaimer**
The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.

Tired of trying to brute-force discipline only to burn out when motivation dips? We flip the script by treating discipline as the effect and resolve as the cause—then show you how to build resolve on command by fueling it with a clear, emotionally charged why. Instead of pushing the car up the hill, we build the engine and pour in the right fuel, so action becomes the natural outcome.

We start by dismantling common myths: motivation is a spark, not a steady fuel; discipline is the consistent action but not the driver. The driver is resolve, the felt decision that ends the internal debate before it begins. From there, we connect the dots with Angela Duckworth’s research on grit—passion (your ultimate concern) plus perseverance (your tenacity). When your why is specific and personal, resolve becomes firm, and discipline follows with less friction. You’ll hear a vivid contrast between a weak why like “look good on vacation” and a powerful why rooted in being a healthy, present parent, and why the latter wins on cold, rainy mornings.

We get practical with a three-step method to make action stick. First, excavate your why using the five whys to drill from surface goals to core values. Second, turn that why into identity, shifting from “I want to run a marathon” to “I am a runner,” so behavior aligns without bargaining. Third, make a real decision—cut off other options and end the loopholes. Along the way, we map how repetition creates an upward spiral: as your discipline muscle grows, you need less resolve to move it, making consistency feel calm and almost automatic.

If you’re ready to replace willpower theatrics with a dependable engine, this conversation gives you the tools. Subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the one why that drives you most—what identity are you ready to claim?

We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.

https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com

If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:
sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com

**Legal Disclaimer**
The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.