CAN Old Dogs Learn New Tricks: Halo and Devil Effect Bias

Dear Suze Q, My friend is so black and white that I can barely stand her. Things are over-the-top great, especially people, or barely register on her Richter Scale. What happened to mediocre, moderate, middle?

Dear Friend, The halo or devil/horn effect is when someone latches onto one positive or negative trait, such as attractiveness, about another person that then overrides all logic and becomes the brain’s shortcut, (and lazy thinking) that everything about them must be good or bad. People accustomed to making snap judgements are especially susceptible. The trick is to force yourself to think in the gray areas, outside the box, with critical deep-dive. Always rethink your thinking. -SQ