What is the End of History Illusion?
What is the End of History Illusion? February 5, 2025 | Aging, Bias, Decision Making, Future, Opportunity, Question a Day, Relationships Question a Day Why We Underestimate How Much We Will Change in the Future The End of History Illusion is a cognitive bias that leads people to believe they’ve undergone significant personal change in the past but will experience little to no change in the future. In other words, you recognize how much you’ve evolved as a person over time but assume that who you are now is essentially the "final version" of yourself. However, psychological research shows this belief is far from reality. Coined by researchers Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel Gilbert, and Timothy Wilson in a 2013 study published in Science , this illusion reveals a fundamental blind spot in how we perceive ourselves. The truth is, personal growth, shifts in preferences, and changes in personality continue throughout our lives, even if we fail to predict them. The Science Be...