The Self-Serving Bias

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In this comic strip by Matt Groening, the main character, Bongo, is being picked on by another character that is telling him "that everyone in the world hates your guts." Generally, most individuals perceive their selves as being "better than average." We are familiar with our own talents, thoughts, feelings, and emotions more so than anybody else's. This leads to a self-serving bias. In the comic, Bongo reassures himself of his "greatness" until he looks in the mirror. The mirror causes Bongo to be more self-aware of his uncertainty. I chose this particular comic not only because it illistrates the self-serving bias, but also because of the way it incorporates the mirror and Bongo's self-awareness.

The text defines self-serving bias as the tendency to perceive oneself favorably. This bias leads us to believe that we are immune to the influences that affect the rest of humanity. In the self-serving bias, our successes are attributed to internal causes (effort or ability), while our failures are attributed to external factors (bad luck). Time and again, experimenters have found that people readily accept credit when told they have succeeded, yet attribute failure to such external factors as bad luck or the problem's inherent "impossibility." Imagine getting a promotion. Most of us will feel that this success is due to hard work, intelligence, dedication, and similar internal factors. But if you are fired, well obviously your boss wouldn't know a good thing if it were staring her in the face. The self-serving bias has been demonstrated countless times: the majority of Americans believe they are smarter and better looking than average; most drivers (even those hospitalized for accidents) believe themselves more skilled than the av...

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...nhance one's self esteem. This motivation protects people from depression but in turn contributes to misjudgment and group conflict. It also causes one to live in such a "dream world."

In Conclusion, contrary to the presumption that most people suffer from low self-esteem or feelings of inferiority, it is found that most people exhibit a self-serving bias. Individuals typically rate their selves better than average on subjective, desirable traits and abilities. Some individuals display overconfidence, which can lead to eventual feelings of failure. I have a self-serving bias as well as most everyone else, even though I may not even notice it. So next time you find yourself saying, "I was in a bad mood that day," "A lot of people make that same mistake," or "I can do it better myself," think about what you are saying and maybe you might catch your self serving bias.

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