Decision Hacks: The Neuroscience of Making Smarter Choices

(Credit: Ollyy/Shutterstock) Have you ever walked out of a store with a shiny new gadget and wondered, “Why did I buy this? I can’t afford it. I don’t need it. What made me buy it?” Maybe you’ve asked yourself similar questions after you broke your diet with a tempting dessert, or fell back into the arms of someone who broke your heart: “I knew I shouldn’t have done this. Why can’t I make smarter decisions?” Neuroscientists have studied questions like these for decades, and they’ve produced a wealth of answers, as well as some tips to catch yourself in the midst of self-deception. Here are three simple ways to avoid deceiving yourself, and turn bad decisions into learning experiences.Find your Biases and Work With Them We’ve all got biases — conscious and unconscious — and there’s no getting away from them. We trust some news sources more than others; we ...