What are the roots of WYSIATI?

WYSIATI stands for “What You See Is All There Is.” It was coined by psychologist Daniel Kahneman in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow to describe a fundamental limitation of human reasoning:

We tend to make decisions and form judgments based only on the information immediately available to us — and we largely ignore the possibility that there is relevant information we don’t see or don’t know.

🧠 The Cognitive Shortcut

WYSIATI is a mental shortcut that helps us make quick decisions, but it also explains why we:

• Jump to conclusions
• Are overconfident
• Miss hidden risks or alternatives
• Construct coherent stories from partial facts

📌 Example

Suppose you read a glowing review of a new restaurant. It sounds fantastic, and without checking other sources, you decide it must be great. But perhaps the review was written by a friend of the owner. WYSIATI means your mind doesn't demand more data — what you see feels like enough.

🔍 Why It Matters

In decision-making:

• WYSIATI can cause overconfidence: We feel sure about conclusions drawn from incomplete info.
• It feeds into confirmation bias: We favor evidence that fits the story we already see.
• It weakens skepticism: We don’t naturally ask, “What am I not seeing?”

🔧 How to Counter It

1. Actively seek disconfirming evidence.
2. Ask what data is missing.
3. Consider multiple perspectives or explanations.
4. Use structured reasoning or decision frameworks.

🧠 Kahneman’s Point

Kahneman’s deeper insight is that System 1 (our fast, intuitive brain) is very good at building stories from little data. It doesn’t like uncertainty. WYSIATI is a side effect: we create meaning from what's in front of us and move on, often without realizing how thin the evidence really was.