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We think we are better than we actually are and we automatically seek out information that confirms us in our pre-existing beliefs. We also have a preference for the exotic, beautiful people and a small rather than a large selection of things. We notice only a limited amount of the things in front of us, and don’t know how to make absolute judgments. And our decisions are guided by our emotions and by the way that people around us are behaving.

Get an honest opinion about yourself.

Whether you like it or not, you overestimate your abilities just like everyone else. A good way to combat this tendency is to ask your friend (or even better: your enemy) over for coffee and ask for their honest opinion about your strengths and weaknesses.

Don’t be fooled by “limited time only”.

These kinds of sales pitches play on your tendency to value things more when their availability is decreasing. Instead, remind yourself that, in this day and age, virtually anything can be found online. This will help you focus on the actual benefits the product provides, rather than the possibility that it will disappear forever.