1. Redefining Needs

Perhaps it’s marketing or perhaps it is our culture, but we’ve gone from wanting certain possessions to NEEDING them.  Whether it’s a top model car or a specialty coffee, we confuse the difference between wants and needs.  We only really NEED food, shelter, companionship, and a job to pay for the food and shelter.  That’s it.

2. Psychological Addictions

Not all addictions are physiological.  Some are much more complex.  Smoke breaks are both times to smoke and a break.  Often it’s the “break” aspect that helps people relax.  The same applies with coffee breaks, impulse shopping, or gambling.  These things make us feel better in our brain, and as a result, we become addicted to that feeling.

3.  Unrealistic Understanding of Risk

Whether it is through denial or simply overconfidence, people often invest money they can’t afford to lose in investments that are at a higher risk   Or, we assume because an investment has performed will in the past, it would

4. Procrastination Rationalization

Our brains are often magnificent at rationalizing actions or lack of them.  This can keep us from acting at times that would most benefit us.  We avoid making changes in the present that can benefit us in the future, and we always have “good” reasons.

5. Inability to Admit Mistakes

Because we often attach our own self worth to the effectiveness of our decisions, mistakes are viewed as diminishments of ourselves.  Because of this and many other reasons, we tend to avoid admitting when we’ve made a mistake, which prolongs the time until we work to resolve it.