Lost keys paradox

The Lost Keys paradox is a form of the "Inventor's paradox" which states that a solution to the particular may be more readily discovered by seeking the general instead of the particular.

Lost keys paradox =

• when looking for where you put the keys, you will only find them when you go looking for something else, such as your glasses, or your phone
• a possible explanation for the Lost Keys Paradox is that our focus of attention can be limited to a particular goal or activity, which, blinds us to alternative solutions
  • thus it is a form of confirmation bias
• when freed of the bias of seeking one particular thing, we are more likely to discover the unexpected solution that we could not see while focused solely on that one thing
• coined by Michael Bromley

see also: Social Studies skills - Cognitive biases, effects & syndromes