Chapter 04 of 5
Easy to Imagine, Easy to Believe
Why vivid stories warp our sense of risk.
- The Bias
The availability heuristic
We judge how common something is by how easily examples come to mind.
- 1973
The letter K
Asked whether more English words start with K or have K as the third letter, most people say 'start with K'. In fact, third-letter K is more common.
- Why
Easy to recall
Words starting with K are easier to think of, so they feel more common.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What happened after 9/11 when many Americans chose to drive instead of fly?
🎲 The Glitches in Our Thinking
- 01Two SystemsFast intuition, slow reasoning — and the friendship that mapped them.
- 02The Anchor DropsHow the first number you hear quietly shapes your judgement.
- 03Losses Hurt MoreWhy losing £100 feels worse than winning £100 feels good.
- 04Easy to Imagine, Easy to BelieveWhy vivid stories warp our sense of risk.
- 05NudgedHow small design changes steer big decisions — for better or worse.