BiasPerception & patterns · Cognitive Bias · Entry 119
Proportionality Bias – when big events must have big causes
Do you struggle to believe that major events can happen by chance? That’s Proportionality Bias – the tendency to assume that big events must have equally big causes, even when they don’t.
Where it can show up
- Conspiracy theories – people believe global crises or disasters are orchestrated by hidden forces rather than being random or due to human error.
- History & politics – assuming assassinations or revolutions are always part of a grand conspiracy rather than chaotic events.
- Medicine & science – seeking complex explanations for diseases and epidemics while dismissing simple scientific facts.
A practical countermeasure
- Remember, the world is chaotic – not everything has a hidden meaning or massive cause.
- Look for real evidence – rather than just what ‘sounds logical.’
- Don’t overcomplicate things – sometimes, the simplest explanation is the right one.