Better Questions, Better Results

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...

  Is Our Freedom of Choice an Illusion? A Deep Dive into Free Will vs. Determinism The question of whether free will —our ability to make choices freely—is real or merely an illusion has fascinated philosophers, scientists, and theologians for centuries. As we go about our lives, we feel as though we make conscious decisions. From choosing what to eat for breakfast to deciding whether to change careers, the sensation of control is powerful. However, modern science, philosophy, and even psychology raise doubts about whether we genuinely have freedom of choice—or whether our decisions are shaped by factors beyond our control. In this blog post, we’ll explore the key debates around free will, including insights from philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology. We’ll also cover the deterministic view of the universe and consider the compatibilist middle-ground that many thinkers have adopted. So, let’s dive into one of humanity’s biggest existential questions: Is our freedom of choice an...