BiasMemory & retrieval · Memory Bias · Entry 176
Egocentric Bias – when your past seems better than it really was
Do you remember getting straight A’s, but your report card says otherwise? That’s Egocentric Bias – the tendency to exaggerate past achievements and downplay failures.
Where it can show up
- School & work – grades seem higher, and your role in projects feels more significant than it actually was.
- Personal achievements – you catch yourself thinking you were faster, stronger, and smarter in the past.
- Fishing & storytelling – ‘that’ fish gets bigger every year, while the struggle to catch it fades.
A practical countermeasure
- Check the facts – records and numbers tell the truth better than memory.
- Accept the past without filters – growth starts with acknowledging mistakes.
- Don’t fear reality – your achievements matter, even without exaggeration.