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Be your own devil’s advocate, eliminate bias
Human brain has some rather unique features to be able to make quick decisions based on past
experiences. This decision-making comes with some limitations. We are more likely to see what we
expect to see, rather than what is actually there. This phenomenon is known as ‘perceptual set’. It,
therefore, has the potential to lead to biased, erroneous perception and subsequently wrong
decisions. A familiar example is we being able to read a misspelt word correctly because our brains
expect it to be spelt that way. It’s a unique ability to selectively ignore what does not conform to
established patterns and eliminate any confusion. The cognitive apparatus selectively mutes the
discordant notes to maintain harmony of perception.
There is evidence to suggest that at any given moment, one sees only 20% of what one is seeing; 80%
of what appears in our visual field is being ‘generated’ by our brain. Of the total inputs to the visual
cortex that integrate and mediate our vision, only 20% of neural pathways come from the eyes; 80%
come from other areas of the brain, such as those in charge of memory. It is now estimated that visual
perception is 80% memory and 20% input through the eyes. Sensory information is not transmitted to
the brain; it comes from it. This infill, or fill-in-the-blanks, is sourced from memory and other sensory
modalities and experiences.
Therefore, any decision, or chosen option that’s based on our perception is strongly impacted by a well-
defined phenomenon called confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias is a psychological term for the human tendency to selectively glean information that
supports one’s position. This causes a bias towards confirming the decision made, seeking out only
information that supports the decision.
It is a kind of self-propagating mechanism, which paradoxically focuses on factors that lend credibility
to whatever position one has taken.
Decision-making is fraught with another peril – the powerful undercurrent of emotions that short
charge reason and blur reality. A combination of cognitive bias garnished with generous emotional
toppings has often been the recipe for disastrous judgements and decisions.
Human intelligence perhaps is unique in that it can affect its own appraisal. A blessing that’s ironically
called ‘Devil’s Advocacy’. Being one’s own Devil’s Advocate is a discipline that can yield rich dividends.
This involves challenging and if required negating assumptions, arguments, and evidence of the chosen
option.
A stance, that the premise, decision, or option taken is wrong. One has to investigate thereafter and
find inherent flaws, possible misjudgements or miscalculations. An ‘autocorrection’ of sorts that splits
the Self into two. One that has made the decision and another that questions the former.
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The kicking in of this autocorrection mechanism introduces a delay that differentiates an instinctive
impulsive act from an act suffused with conscious deliberation – an ability to transcend from being
merely a decision-maker to simultaneously being an unbiased observer. An independent observer is no
longer subservient to presumptions and biases and has a self-indulgent ego that refuses to accept one’s
limitations. To err is human; to review is divine.
Eliminating cognitive bias plays a crucial role in making correct decisions. This endeavour is particularly
important when making critical, irreversible, life-changing decisions. [Practice Exercise]
• Red/blue coloring of words in the sentence indicates subject verb relationship; where ‘red’
denotes ‘subject’ and ‘blue’ denotes ‘verb’.
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Vocabulary
1. Advocate (noun) – Proponent, Champion, 13. Discordant (adjective) – Conflicting,
Supporter, Defender, Backer समर्थक Inharmonious, Dissonant, Clashing, Jarring
त्तवरोधाभासी
2. Bias (noun) – Prejudice, Partiality,
Tendency, Inclination, Leaning पक्षपात 14. Harmony (noun) – Balance, Accord, Unity,
Consistency, Congruity सामंजस्य
3. Limitation (noun) – Constraint,
Restriction, Drawback, Shortcoming, 15. Cortex (noun) – the outer layer of an
Weakness सीमा organ in the body, especially the brain
16. Mediate (verb) – Facilitate, Moderate,
4. Phenomenon (noun) – Occurrence, Event,
Arbitrate, Intervene, Negotiate मध्यस्र्ता
Fact, Incident, Manifestation घटना
करना
5. Perceptual set (noun) – It refers to a
predisposition to perceive things in a 17. Neural (adjective) – Nervous, Neuronal,
certain way प्रत्यक्षणात्मक प्रवत्तृ ि Nerve-related, Cerebral, Brain तंत्रत्रका
संबंधी
6. Potential (noun) – Possibility, Capacity,
Capability, Promise, Prospect संभावना 18. Transmit (verb) – Convey, Transfer, Send,
Communicate, Pass on प्रसाररत करना
7. Lead (to) – (verb) – Cause, Result in, Bring
about, Produce, Generate वजह बनना 19. Infill (noun) – Completion,
Supplementation, Filling in, Augmentation
8. Biased (adjective) – Prejudiced, Partial,
पूर्तथ
Onesided, Slanted, Distorted पक्षपातपूणथ
20. Modality (noun) – Method, Mode,
9. Erroneous (adjective) – Incorrect, Wrong,
Manner, Approach, System प्रणाली
False, Inaccurate, Mistaken गलत
21. Glean (verb) – Gather, Collect, Extract,
10. Cognitive (adjective) – Mental,
Derive, Obtain इकट्ठा करना
Intellectual, Perceptual, Thinking,
Reasoning संज्ञानात्मक 22. Self-propagating (adjective) – Self-
perpetuating, Self-sustaining, Self-
11. Apparatus (noun) – Mechanism, System,
renewing स्वतः प्रसाररत
Structure, Framework, Device तंत्र
23. Mechanism (noun) – Process, System,
12. Mute (verb) – Silence, Suppress, Quieten,
Procedure, Operation, Device तंत्र
Stifle, Dampen दबाना
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24. Paradoxically (adverb) – Contradictorily, 35. Appraisal (noun) – Evaluation,
Ironically, Unexpectedly, Illogically Assessment, Judgment, Estimation,
त्तवरोधाभासी रूप से Analysis मूलयांकन
25. Lend (verb) – Give, Provide, Offer, Grant, 36. Ironically (adverb) – Paradoxically,
Impart प्रदान करना Unexpectedly, Contradictorily, Sarcastically
त्तवडंबनापव
ू थक
26. Credibility (noun) – Believability,
Trustworthiness, Reliability, Plausibility 37. Devil's advocate (noun) – someone who
त्तवश्वसनीयता expresses an opinion they do not really
hold in order to encourage a discussion
27. Fraught (with) – (adjective) – Filled, Laden, about a subject त्तवपक्षी वक्ता/दोषदशी
Charged, Full, Burdened भरा हुआ
38. Yield (verb) – Produce, Generate, Provide,
28. Peril (noun) – Danger, Risk, Hazard, Bear, Give उत्पन्न करना
Threat, Jeopardy खतरा
39. Dividend (noun) – Benefit, Profit, Gain,
29. Undercurrent (noun) – a feeling, Return, Advantage लाभांश
especially a negative one, that is hidden
but whose effects are felt अदे खा 40. Negate (verb) – Nullify, Cancel, Invalidate,
Deny, Reverse नकारना
30. Blur (verb) – Obscure, Dim, Cloud,
Confuse, Distort धध
ुं ला करना 41. Premise (noun) – Assumption,
Proposition, Basis, Foundation, Hypothesis
31. Garnish (verb) – Decorate, Adorn, आधार
Enhance, Embellish, Trim सजाना
42. Inherent (adjective) – Intrinsic, Innate,
32. Topping (noun) – Addition, Enhancement, Builtin, Natural, Essential र्नहहत
Decoration, Garnish, Covering ऊपरी परत
43. Flaw (noun) – Defect, Fault, Imperfection,
33. Be the recipe for something (phrase) – Weakness, Shortcoming दोष
Cause, Lead to, Result in, Create, Produce
कारण बनना 44. Of sorts (phrase) – Of a kind, In a way,
Sort of, Kind of, After a fashion एक प्रकार
34. Perhaps (adverb) – Maybe, Possibly,
का
Conceivably, Perchance, Potentially शायद
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45. Kicking in (noun) – Activation, Starting, 52. Transcend (verb) – Surpass, Exceed, Rise
Beginning, Commencement, Initiation above, Go beyond, Overcome पहुंचना,
प्रारं भ
ज़्यादा होना
46. Differentiate (verb) – Distinguish,
53. Merely (adverb) – Only, Simply, Just,
Separate, Discriminate, Tell apart, Set
Barely, Solely केवल
apart अंतर करना
54. Subservient (to) – (adjective) –
47. Instinctive (adjective) – Intuitive,
Subordinate, Inferior, Subject, Dependent,
Automatic, Reflex, Natural, Innate सहज
Servile अधीन
48. Impulsive (adjective) – Spontaneous,
55. Self-indulgent (adjective) – Hedonistic,
Rash, Hasty, Unthinking, Reckless
Pleasureseeking, Gratifying, Pampering
आवेगशील
आत्मतुष्ट
49. Suffuse (with) – (verb) – Permeate, Infuse,
56. Err (verb) – Make a mistake, Blunder, Slip
Fill, Spread through, Bathe व्याप्त करना
up, Miscalculate, Stumble गलती करना
50. Conscious (adjective) – Aware, Deliberate,
57. Endeavour (noun) – Effort, Attempt,
Intentional, Mindful, Purposeful सचेत
Venture, Striving, Enterprise प्रयास
51. Deliberation (noun) – Consideration,
Reflection, Thought, Contemplation,
Discussion त्तवचार
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Summary of the Editorial
1. Perceptual Set Bias – The brain tends to see what it expects (based on past experiences)
rather than reality, leading to potential misjudgments.
2. Example: Reading Misspelt Words – We often read misspelt words correctly because our
brain auto-corrects based on expectations.
3. Selective Perception – Only 20% of vision comes from actual visual input; 80% is constructed
by the brain using memory and expectations.
4. Memory-Driven Perception – Most of what we "see" is not raw sensory data but a
reconstruction influenced by past experiences.
5. Confirmation Bias – People unconsciously favor information that supports their pre-existing
beliefs, ignoring contradictory evidence.
6. Self-Reinforcing Mechanism – Once a decision is made, the brain seeks evidence to justify it,
creating a feedback loop of bias.
7. Emotional Influence on Decisions – Strong emotions can override logic, further distorting
judgment.
8. Disastrous Judgments – Many poor decisions stem from cognitive biases amplified by
emotional reasoning.
9. Devil’s Advocacy as a Solution – Deliberately challenging one’s own assumptions helps
counteract bias.
10. Self-Critique Technique – Splitting into a "decision-maker" and a "skeptical observer"
improves objectivity.
11. Autocorrection Mechanism – Introducing a delay between impulse and action allows for
rational reevaluation.
12. Transcending Impulsivity – Conscious deliberation separates instinctive reactions from well-
considered choices.
13. Ego & Presumptions – An unbiased observer must resist the ego’s tendency to defend flawed
decisions.
14. Error & Review – Humans naturally err, but self-review ("to review is divine") minimizes
mistakes.
15. Critical for Major Decisions – Eliminating bias is especially vital for irreversible, life-changing
choices.
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Practice Exercise: SSC Pattern Based
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