This document discusses overcoming cognitive biases and dramatic instincts that can distort our understanding of facts and data about important issues. It identifies 10 common story types or instincts, like the fear instinct, negativity instinct, and blame instinct, that often lead us to misinterpret facts and see issues as more alarming than reality. The document encourages developing rules of thumb to control these instincts, like checking the actual risks and proportions rather than exaggerating dangers, noticing slow changes rather than believing destinies are set, and considering multiple perspectives rather than single solutions. The overall message is that understanding our cognitive biases helps achieve a fact-based view of the world's problems and progress.

2. Lecture 9
Economic Development

3. Voice 1
Voice 1
Voice 2

4. Quinney Natalie

5. Causes, not villains
Systems, not heroes

6. Blame someone
Claim Credit

7. If you really want to
change the world
you first have to
understand it

8. Journalists
Misinformed
Humans
Compete

9. They can’t live like
us…
Their emissions
will kill the planet.

10. Camille Jana

11. Take a breath
Insist on data
Beware of fortune-tellers
Be harry of drastic action

12. It never changes!
The Destiny Instinct
This is the solution!
The Single Perspective Instinct
Dramatic Instincts
The Fear Instinct
It’s scary!
The Negativity Instinct
It’s getting worse!
The Size Instinct
It’s big!
The Blame Instinct
That’s the bad guy!
The Urgency Instinct
It’s now or never!
This poster is part of Gapminder’s free teaching resources. Gapminder is an independent Swedish foundation with no political, religious or economic affiliations. We fight devastating misconceptions with a fact-based worldview which everyone can
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The Straight Line Instinct
It just continues!
The Generalization Instinct
They are all the same!
The gap instinct
Look at the gap!
Learn to recognize the ten common story types that often make us
misinterpret facts and see them as more dramatic than they are.
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www.gapminder.org/factfulness

13. Rules of Thumb
Is there really a gap?
Locate the majority
TO CONTROL THE GAP INSTINCT
Would improvement get attention?
Expect negative news
TO CONTROL THE NEGATIVITY INSTINCT
Is it really dangerous?
Calculate the risk
TO CONTROL THE FEAR INSTINCT
Is it big in comparison?
Check the proportions
TO CONTROL THE SIZE INSTINCT
Isn’t it always changing slowly?
Notice slow changes
TO CONTROL THE DESTINY INSTINCT
What other solutions exist?
Use multiple tools
TO CONTROL THE SINGLE PERSPECTIVE INSTINCT
What system made this possible?
Resist pointing finger
TO CONTROL THE BLAME INSTINCT
Can we make decisions as we go?
Take small steps
TO CONTROL THE URGENCY INSTINCT
FACTFULNESS
Why would this line not bend?
Imagine bending lines
TO CONTROL THE STRAIGHT LINE INSTINCT
How are they different?
Question your categories
TO CONTROL THE GENERALIZATION INSTINCT
Control your dramatic instincts by making it a habit to always
question dramatic stories that trigger your dramatic instincts.
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