Thinking Traps When Making a Decision

Thinking Traps
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Thinking Traps
As a history enthusiast, Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo has been my topic of interest. Following the weekly readings, I feel that Napoleon’s defeat in the Battle of Waterloo can be attributed to a thinking trap. A key strategic mistake was the decision not to pursue the fleeing Prussian army given that the Prussian army played a decisive role in Napoleon’s defeat at the Waterloo (Scott, 2015). In this case, Napoleon had a case of thinking trap as he believed that Prussians would not pose a significant threat because of their previous defeat and his perception of their capabilities at that time. consequently, Napoleon may have disregarded the likelihood that the Prussian army would be able to support the British army in the battle.
Historical anchor played a role in Napoleon’s thinking trap. Napoleon was anchored to the belief that the fleeing Prussian army, once defeated, could not pose a significant threat to him again. The anchor may have influenced his decision-making process, leading him to underestimate the capabilities and determination of the Prussian forces at Waterloo.
According to Campbell, Whitehead, and Finkelstein (2009), the heavy reliance of our brain on pattern recognition and emotional tagging can lead to poor decisions. Our brains are wired to recognize patterns and make quick judgments based on past experien...