Action Bias
Also known as: The Urgency Bias
We have a tendency to action to solve a problem. We feel that we have to “do something,” when the right solution might be to do nothing because (1) the situation will resolve itself, or (2) the situation is impossible to solve, and any available courses of action would either be ineffectual or make it worse.
Aphorisms
“We have to do something!”
Examples
The most effective aspect to losing weight is controlling food intake, not exercising. We need to do less eating rather than more moving. But we view exercise as “taking action” against a problem, while limiting food intake is viewed as more passive.
The entire thesis of the book Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less is that humans are hard-wired to add to every situation in seeking a resolution. The book includes many examples of controlled experiments that have proven this.
One of the principles in the book How Big Things Get Done is that we should “Think slow, Act fast” when executing on some project. It cites several examples of how projects that ignored this precept failed spectacularly.