Stories
Stories
Brain Bugs show up in myths, fairy tales, detective stories, and classic novels because stories make hidden reasoning easier to see.
Browse by Story Source
Myths & Legends
Pride, shortcuts, and false certainty show up clearly in heroes, tricksters, and warnings from old tales.
Fairy Tales
Fairy tales turn bad judgment into simple scenes that are easy to remember.
Shakespeare
Shakespeare gives strong examples of persuasion, misreading motives, and tragic overconfidence.
Classic Novels
Longer novels show how bias grows over time and shapes whole decisions.
Detective Fiction
Mystery stories make pattern mistakes and false causes especially easy to study.
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Strange worlds let familiar thinking traps stand out in bold form.
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Ad Hominem
Attacking the Person
Argument Mistakes
A student says the new research source is useful. Another student replies, “Why would we trust you? You never do your part.” The source i...
Learn this bugAnchoring Bias
Stuck On The First Number
Brain Shortcuts that Tilt Judgment
A store marks a jacket at a very high original price and then shows a sale price. The sale feels great because the first number still fra...
Learn this bugAppeal to Emotion
Feelings Used As Proof
Persuasion Tricks
A speaker says everyone must support a policy right now because terrible consequences will happen, but gives almost no evidence for the p...
Learn this bugAvailability Heuristic
If I Can Recall It Fast, It Feels Common
Fast Rules of Thumb
After seeing one dramatic story about a plane problem, a traveler feels flying is suddenly much riskier than driving.
Learn this bugBandwagon Fallacy
The Crowd Must Be Right
Argument Mistakes
A manager says the team should copy a new app feature because “every top brand is doing it now,” even though the feature does not solve t...
Learn this bugBase Rate Neglect
Ignoring The Big Background Numbers
Number Mistakes
A test flags a rare condition, and someone assumes the condition is now very likely without looking at how rare it is in the first place.
Learn this bugFeatured Story Examples
The Emperor's New Clothes
Attacking the Person
People support the false story about the emperor's clothes because nobody wants to look foolish or low status.
The pressure is social, and anyone who questions the claim is treated as the problem instead of the claim being tested.
Go to the full lessonThe Merchant of Venice
Stuck On The First Number
The bond terms create a hard frame that shapes later judgment and negotiation.
The first deal structure keeps pulling the later conversation.
Go to the full lessonJulius Caesar
Feelings Used As Proof
Public speeches stir grief and anger to move the crowd.
The crowd is steered by emotion faster than evidence.
Go to the full lessonSherlock Holmes stories
If I Can Recall It Fast, It Feels Common
Other investigators jump toward the most vivid clue instead of the strongest pattern.
Easy recall beats careful probability.
Go to the full lesson