What we don´t know we are thinking

When buying clothes, saying and doing are proven to be different. But why do we so coherently say things we don’t actually mean?

 When it comes to sustainability and individual choices, one reason is, of course, that we want to present ourselves in a good light. However, it is not always a matter of conscious embellishment, but about unconscious drivers whose presence we do not even recognize ourselves.

“I bought this because I wanted to impress other people.”
“I bought this because I underestimate the true seriousness of climate change.”
“I bought this because changing my habits is more uncomfortable than repeating what I already know.”
“I bought this because immediate benefits feel more important than future harms.”
“I bought this because it’s important that I have as much as others do.”
“I bought this because I considered my own needs more important than the common good.”
“I bought this because I didn’t understand the impact of my choice.”

Said no one ever.

Yet most of us have likely acted in ways similar to the above. Even people who advocate sustainability in what they say and likely think as well, and who demand that companies act accordingly. As humans we are masters at explaining our choices in the best possible light, both to ourselves and to others.

This is not about dishonesty, but about the human decision-making process and the unconscious motives and cognitive biases that influence it. These are the result of our evolutionary history and developed to serve the survival of our species. Ironically, in our society and consumption behavior, they can easily lead us in the opposite direction.

What has been built into us over millennia does not change in years or decades, not even in times of crisis. If we want to change behavior in a more responsible direction, the most effective approach is to understand how our thinking truly works, and to collaborate with it.

Behind the unspoken reasoning above, we can identify at least the following kinds of unconscious factors:

Social Influence

Social influence on us is extremely powerful, for better or worse. We want what others have and what the people we consider important approve of. Acting according to social norms can even override our own values. Yet we often justify our actions as rational, independent decisions, even when the real driver is social.

Prioritizing Self-interest

When our self-interest conflicts with the common good, we tend to prioritize our own benefit. Purchasing decisions usually allow us to focus on maximizing personal gain, whereas sustainability places the common good on the scale as well. Although the common good is emphasized in speech and attitudes, the purchase decision tends to be based on self-interest.

Lack of Personal Experience

We best understand things we have direct personal experience of or can perceive with our own senses. Climate change is an abstract threat that easily exceeds our capacity to grasp it. We also treat events in our immediate everyday environment more seriously than those that are distant in time or location.

For this reason, we struggle to relate to future environmental threats with the seriousness they require, or to regard ethical issues in the fashion industry with the same gravity as matters within our own society.

The Need to Preserve the Status quo

The status quo is a safe state. It is easier to remain there than to take risks with new ways of acting. Even if there is interest, willingness, and opportunity to change purchasing habits, in everyday situations it is easy to postpone trying something new and stick with what is already familiar.

How to Overcome the Biases?

Because these biases influence our behavior unconsciously, they remain hidden in surveys and studies that attempt to map intentions and respondents’ mindsets. As a result, companies may operate partly on misleading information, which makes bridging the value–action gap difficult.

Unconscious motives and cognitive biases are part of my Human Intelligent Communication method. Both the presentation and the workshop help companies better recognize these biases and use this understanding more effectively in their communication.

Read also: Sustainability Is a Social Act