Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, originating from the brain's need to simplify information processing. First cataloged comprehensively by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in the 1970s, these mental shortcuts affect personal decisions, professional judgments, and social interactions. While biases evolved to help humans make quick decisions under uncertainty, they often lead to predictable errors in thinking—from overestimating our abilities to misjudging probabilities. Understanding these biases is the first step toward debiasing: once you recognize that your judgment naturally skews in specific directions, you can implement strategies to correct course before committing to flawed decisions.