Category Archives: Videos

The cognitive biases that quietly transform whispers into certainty

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.

Correlation is not causation — but your brain refuses to believe it. A famous graph shows that the number of Nicolas Cage films each year tracks almost perfectly with the number of people who drown in swimming pools. Cage didn’t drown anyone — yet your mind still sees a story in the pattern. That’s a spurious correlation, and it fools smart people every day.

In this episode, I use one ridiculous graph to show why we can’t resist turning coincidence into cause — the trap of confusing correlation vs causation — and what it means for the decisions you make at work.

Based on the book Convenient Truths: The Stories You Tell Yourself. More on the stories we tell ourselves at work: https://nigeldessau.substack.com and https://the3minutementor.com

#CorrelationVsCausation #CognitiveBias #DecisionMaking

Present bias quietly shapes everything from your savings account to your career, and once you recognize it, you’ll start seeing it everywhere.

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.

Just Because It Happened After Doesn’t Mean It Happened Because Of It

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.

Why avoiding a decision often feels safe but quietly sabotages progress

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.

Most people don’t fear being incorrect. They fear what being incorrect means about them.

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.

The dangerous logic behind “Argument from Final Outcome” and why smart people keep falling for it

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.

The psychology of effort, struggle, and why easy success can feel strangely empty

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.

Why “I Just Follow the Facts” Is Usually a Warning Sign

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.

Pleasure, Grace, and Excellence — The Psychology Behind Meaningful Happiness

You can find more content like this at https://nigeldessau.substack.com or on my website at https://the3minutementor.com.