奇创岛

From «Thinking, Fast and Slow»

Create a Personal Decision Checklist to Trigger Slow Thinking

You'll pick 1–2 high-risk scenarios where you tend to make poor decisions, then use loss aversion, framing effects, anchoring bias, availability bias, and overconfidence from *Thinking, Fast and Slow* to design a '5-Step Pre-Decision Checklist' that forces System 2 to kick in at your most error-prone moments.

Final work

A 'My Anti-Bias Daily Decision Checklist' (applicable scenarios + 5-step check process + trigger questions for each step + usage instructions)

Estimated time

1–1.5 hr

Submitted

…

Your final work

Purpose:Before a high-risk decision, use a portable checklist to activate System 2, identify and interrupt five common biases, and base your judgment on evidence rather than impulse.

Parts:

  • My applicable scenarios (1–2 real high-risk decision types)
  • Step 1: Strip the Anchor – Identify and set aside the first number/reference that appears
  • Step 2: Swap the Frame – Rephrase the current statement from a 'gain' perspective to a 'loss' perspective and read it again
  • Step 3: Reverse Availability – Ask 'Have I searched for counterexamples?'
  • Step 4: Loss vs. Gain Side by Side – Write two columns on paper; don't look at only one side
  • Step 5: Pretend I Might Be Wrong – State one concrete reason why this decision could be wrong
  • Usage instructions (when to use / how long to use / how to decide if you pass)

Use cases:

  • · Self-check before large purchases (items over $300, annual courses, electronics)
  • · Bias scan before investment decisions (adding to a fund, stop-loss, rebalancing)
  • · Rational check for job offers and career transitions
  • · Debiasing check before project initiation or important recommendations to others

Pick a topic

Pick the topic closest to you, or write a custom one when you submit.

Personal Life

Learning / Growth

Work / Projects

Communication & Relationships

Tools you'll use from the book

Strip the Anchor

The first number that appears quietly becomes your judgment baseline – identify it, set it aside, then independently assess the true value.

How to use it here:

In Step 1 of the checklist, write down 'the first number/reference I saw,' then ask yourself: 'If I had never seen this number, how would I estimate its value?' Write down that independent estimate and compare it with the original anchor.

Boundaries:

Stripping the anchor is about making you aware of the anchor's existence, not forcing you to reject the first piece of information – sometimes the first price is a reasonable reference. The goal is to weigh it consciously, not follow it automatically.

Swap the Frame Check

The same fact described as '90% success rate' vs. '10% failure rate' feels completely different – actively switch frames to check if your judgment changes with the wording.

How to use it here:

In Step 2 of the checklist, rewrite the description given by the other party or advertisement into the opposite frame, then ask: 'Did my feeling change after the rewording? If so, which feeling is closer to the facts?'

Boundaries:

Swapping frames isn't meant to make you pessimistic – it's to reveal how the information is packaged. If your judgment is consistent under both frames, you're deciding on a rational basis and can proceed with confidence.

Reverse Availability

What comes easily to mind isn't necessarily common – actively search for cases where 'this went wrong/failed/had no effect' to balance the brain's availability bias.

How to use it here:

In Step 3 of the checklist, ask yourself: 'Have the recent things I've seen about this decision all come from supporters? Have I actively looked for counterexamples, failure cases, or negative reviews?' If not, spend 10 minutes finding 1–3 counterexamples before deciding.

Boundaries:

Reverse availability isn't about being negative – it's about completing your information set. If you still don't change your judgment after searching for counterexamples, your original judgment has passed the test.

Loss vs. Gain Side by Side

The brain feels losses about twice as intensely as equivalent gains – force yourself to draw two columns: 'What I gain from this decision' and 'What I lose from this decision,' so loss aversion doesn't dominate unilaterally.

How to use it here:

In Step 4 of the checklist, take a piece of paper and draw two columns. On the left, write 'If I make this decision, what will I gain?' On the right, write 'If I make this decision, what will I lose?' Then ask: 'Is my weighting between these two columns balanced, or am I only looking at one column?'

Boundaries:

Loss isn't always more important – some losses are necessary costs (e.g., changing jobs may cost stability). The goal is to complete both columns, not to force yourself to ignore losses.

Pretend I Might Be Wrong

Pre-mortem: Before deciding, assume 'this decision will be proven wrong a year from now' and force yourself to state one real reason why it could fail.

How to use it here:

In Step 5 of the checklist, say or write: 'If this decision turns out to be wrong, what is the most likely reason?' – not a vague 'it might fail,' but a specific, verifiable failure path you can check right now. If this reason is hard to articulate, you may be falling into overconfidence.

Boundaries:

This step is about identifying blind spots early, not forcing you to abandon the decision – after stating the failure reason, you can decide how to respond or confirm that the risk is acceptable and proceed.

Work rules

Your work MUST include

  • Must specify 1–2 real applicable scenarios (not 'all decisions' in general)
  • Checklist must include 5 specific steps, each with actionable trigger questions (not vague phrases like 'think about it')
  • Must include usage instructions (when to start the checklist / approximate time per step / when you can skip a step)
  • Each check step must trace back to a specific bias concept from *Thinking, Fast and Slow*
  • Must include at least one example you have actually used or plan to use in a near-future decision

Your work CANNOT just be

  • Cannot just copy bias definitions from the book
  • Cannot make the checklist a generic slogan applicable to all scenarios (like 'think more' or 'stay rational')
  • Cannot use hypothetical scenarios instead of real decision types you face
  • Cannot skip the 'I might be wrong' step – it's key to detecting overconfidence

AI can help you here

Round 1: Help me choose a topic

When to use: You don't know which decision scenario to design the checklist for, or you're unsure if your scenario is typical enough.

I'm working on the '{{route name}}' project using the book '{{book title}}'. I need to pick 1–2 real high-risk decision scenarios I face and design an anti-bias checklist for them.

Based on my situation, help me decide which scenario is best as a starting point and explain which biases it's most likely to trigger.

My situation:
[Describe the types of scenarios where you've felt 'anxious before deciding / regretted afterward' in recent months, e.g., regretted buying something expensive, hesitated about changing jobs, didn't know what to do about an investment loss, etc.]

Optional topics:
[Paste the topic list from the page]

Please output:
1. The 1–2 most recommended scenarios to start with
2. Which 2–3 biases from *Thinking, Fast and Slow* these scenarios typically trigger
3. 3 self-test questions I can answer before I start designing the checklist

Yellow placeholders need you to fill in before using the AI.

AI can help you organize ideas, but cannot make final judgments for you. Don't let AI fabricate experiences, cases, or misleading content.

Round 2: Help me design trigger questions for each step

When to use: You've chosen your scenario but don't know how to turn the biases from the book into actionable questions for the checklist.

My chosen project is '{{route name}}' from the book '{{book title}}'.

My topic is:
{{topic}}

I've identified the applicable scenario for my checklist. Now I need to design trigger questions for each of the 5 check steps (anchor stripping / frame swapping / reverse availability / loss vs. gain side by side / pretend I might be wrong) that are tailored to my specific scenario.

Please help me:
1. Rewrite the generic question for each step into a scenario-specific version (e.g., the anchor stripping question for 'buying a house' is different from 'changing jobs')
2. Point out which 1–2 steps are most likely to be skipped in my scenario and why they shouldn't be skipped
3. Give a realistic 'pass/fail' judgment example for my scenario

Don't just give a generic template – customize it based on the specific scenario I wrote.

Yellow placeholders need you to fill in before using the AI.

AI can help you organize ideas, but cannot make final judgments for you. Don't let AI fabricate experiences, cases, or misleading content.

Round 3: Help me review my work

When to use: You've finished the first draft of your checklist and want to confirm that the 5 steps are actionable and the trigger questions are specific enough before submitting.

I'm submitting a project work on Shufang Island.

Book: '{{book title}}'
Project route: {{route name}}
My topic: {{topic}}

My work draft:
{{work draft}}

Please check it against the following criteria:
1. Are the applicable scenarios specific and real? (1–2 scenarios, not vague terms like 'all decisions')
2. Does each of the 5 steps have an executable trigger question? (not empty phrases like 'think about it' or 'stay rational')
3. Can each step be traced back to a specific bias concept from *Thinking, Fast and Slow*?
4. Does the 'pretend I might be wrong' step include a concrete, verifiable failure path? (not vague statements like 'it might fail')
5. Do the usage instructions clearly state when to start, how much time per step?
6. Can the entire checklist be completed within 15 minutes? (otherwise it's hard to stick with)
7. Is it ready to submit?

Please output:
- Overall evaluation
- What's already good
- What must be changed
- What could be enhanced
- Suggested structure for the revised work

Yellow placeholders need you to fill in before using the AI.

AI can help you organize ideas, but cannot make final judgments for you. Don't let AI fabricate experiences, cases, or misleading content.

Submit my work