Thinking in English 344. What is Survivorship Bias? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Jul 14, 2025
Survivorship bias can distort our views on success by spotlighting only the winners while ignoring countless failures. Historical examples, like military aircraft analyses, reveal how this bias misleads conclusions. In the business world, success stories overshadow the struggles behind the scenes. For language learners, embracing diverse experiences is vital to set realistic expectations. The conversation emphasizes the importance of personal progress and community support in achieving language goals.
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Understanding Survivorship Bias
- Survivorship bias makes us focus only on success stories, ignoring many failures.
- This causes a distorted understanding of what leads to true success in any field, including language learning.
WWII Planes and Survivorship Bias
- World War II planes were studied only after surviving missions, showing bullet damage on some parts.
- Statistician Abraham Wald advised reinforcing undamaged parts, revealing survivorship bias in military strategy.
College Dropouts and Bias
- Stories of college dropouts like Steve Jobs succeeding are common examples of survivorship bias.
- We don't hear about the many who dropped out and never succeeded, skewing perceptions of success.