This is a reading note from Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (Chapter 12: The Science of Availability).

Why do we misjudge ourselves and others?

  • Why do some coworkers seem to contribute more than others?
  • Why do we misjudge how assertive we are?

The answer often lies in a mental shortcut:

👉 the availability heuristic

Let’s break it down — and more importantly, learn how to spot and use it.

🔍 What Is the Availability Heuristic?

It’s our brain’s way of answering:

“How likely or frequent is something?”

But instead of checking facts, we answer:

“How easily do examples come to mind?”

👉 The easier it is to recall something, the more true or common we think it is — even when it’s not. image

🧠 System 1 vs System 2

According to Daniel Kahneman:

  • System 1 → fast, intuitive, automatic
  • System 2 → slow, analytical, deliberate

In this bias:

  • System 1 pulls vivid or recent examples
  • System 2 can correct it — but only if you slow down

Example:

If you constantly hear praise about a colleague, you expect them to perform well —
because System 1 already formed that impression.

⚠️ Common Situations Where We Get It Wrong

1. Overestimating rare events

“My coworker always has the best ideas.”

Reality:

  • Maybe they had one standout moment
  • That’s what you remember

2. Self-assessment traps

A study by Norbert Schwarz found:

  • People listing 12 examples of assertiveness rated themselves less assertive
  • People listing 6 examples rated themselves more assertive

👉 Why?

Because:

  • 12 is harder → “I must not be assertive”
  • 6 is easy → “I guess I am”

3. Judging things unfairly

“I can’t think of many benefits… it must not be good.”

Even if you like something, difficulty recalling reasons lowers your perception.

đź’¬ Why We Overcredit Ourselves

In teams, families, or relationships:

👉 Everyone feels they did more than 50%

Why?

Because:

  • Your own work is more visible to you
  • Others’ contributions are less available in memory

👉 Recognizing this reduces conflict and builds empathy

đź’ˇ 3 Ways to Avoid Availability Bias

âś… 1. Pause and question

  • Am I using facts or just vivid examples?
  • What might I be missing?

✅ 2. Know when you’re vulnerable

You’re more biased when you are:

  • distracted
  • in a good mood
  • overconfident
  • new to a topic
  • feeling powerful

👉 These increase System 1 influence

âś… 3. Name the bias

Say it out loud:

“This might just be availability bias.”

👉 This helps reset thinking and improve decisions

🚀 How to Use It to Your Advantage

🌟 1. Self-promotion

If people can’t recall your work:

👉 it’s like it never happened

đź“ś Historical Example

Xia Yan (夏言), a Ming Dynasty official, was known for integrity.

But his rivals repeatedly spread negative narratives.

Over time:

  • those negative impressions became more “available”
  • the emperor trusted what he remembered most

👉 Result: Xia Yan was executed in 1548

Lesson:

What’s repeated becomes remembered.
What’s remembered becomes trusted.

đź’Ľ Modern Example

From Smart, Not Loud by Jessica Chen:

  • She expressed interest in an opportunity once
  • A colleague kept repeating their interest

👉 The opportunity went to the colleague

Why?

The manager said:

“They kept talking about it.”

âś… Takeaway

👉 Visibility matters
👉 Repetition matters
👉 Don’t assume one mention is enough

🤝 2. Relationships

Make invisible contributions visible — not by bragging, but by sharing impact.

🧠 3. Decision-making

Balance:

  • what’s vivid
  • what’s actually true

Use:

  • lists
  • reflection
  • external input

🧭 Final Thought

The availability heuristic is like a mental highlight reel.

👉 But it leaves out important footage.

Ask yourself:

Is this real — or just easy to remember?

đź“š References

  • Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow
  • Schwarz, Norbert et al. (1991). Ease of Retrieval as Information
  • Chen, Jessica. Smart, Not Loud

Historical context adapted from Ming Dynasty records on Xia Yan, Yan Song, and Yan Shifan.