Cognitive Fallacy Quotes

“Another cognitive fallacy, -dose insensitivity-, also was observed among participants studied by Rozin and colleagues. Dose insensitivity refers to our tendency to evaluate a food as equally healthy or harmful, regardless of how much was consumed. That is, something is harmful in large amounts, it if often viewed as similarly harmful in small amounts. Dose insensitivity undermines moderation and encourages adoption of fad diets that rely on strict adherence to or elimination of foods or sometimes entire food groups.”
― Leighann R. Chaffee, A Guide to the Psychology of Eating

“Eating behavior is predicted by consideration of immediate consequences, whereas exercising behavior is related to consideration of future consequences. Compensatory health beliefs are the expectation that engaging in healthy behaviors can compensate for unhealthy actions.”
― Leighann R. Chaffee, A Guide to the Psychology of Eating

“A reality of personal productivity is that humans are not great at estimating the time required for cognitive endeavors. We’re wired to understand the demands of tangible efforts, like crafting a hand ax, or gathering edible plants. When it comes to planning pursuits for which we lack physical intuition, however, we’re guessing more than we realize, leading us to gravitate toward best-case scenarios for how long things might take. We seem to seek the thrill that comes from imagining a wildly ambitious timeline during our planning: “Wow, if I could finish four chapters this fall, I’d really be ahead of schedule!” It feels good in the moment but sets us up for scrambling and disappointment in the days that follow.

By deploying a blanket policy of doubling these initial estimates, you can counter this instinct toward unjustified optimism. The result: plans that can be completed at a more leisurely pace. The fear here, of course, is that by doubling these timelines, you’ll drastically reduce what you accomplish. But your original plans were never realistic or sustainable in the first place.”
― Cal Newport (Author)

“A reality of personal productivity is that humans are not great at estimating the time required for cognitive endeavors. We’re wired to understand the demands of tangible efforts, like crafting a hand ax, or gathering edible plants. When it comes to planning pursuits for which we lack physical intuition, however, we’re guessing more than we realize, leading us to gravitate toward best-case scenarios for how long things might take. We seem to seek the thrill that comes from imagining a wildly ambitious timeline during our planning: “Wow, if I could finish four chapters this fall, I’d really be ahead of schedule!” It feels good in the moment but sets us up for scrambling and disappointment in the days that follow.

By deploying a blanket policy of doubling these initial estimates, you can counter this instinct toward unjustified optimism. The result: plans that can be completed at a more leisurely pace. The fear here, of course, is that by doubling these timelines, you’ll drastically reduce what you accomplish. But your original plans were never realistic or sustainable in the first place.”
― Cal Newport, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout