T-CROSS DOTS THE “I”

The Volkswagen Polo is the most popular car in South Africa. Now it has a bigger, higher, wider and more practical sibling – an SUV called the T-Cross. No wonder the bean counters at Volkswagen think they’ve won the jackpot!

- PIERRE STEYN

You might have heard of something called confirmation bias. It’s when your theory of the world is so ingrained that you use any new information to confirm your own prejudices.

It can be quite hazardous – just ask the English rugby team. Eddie Jones and his players saw the performance of the Springboks against Wales in the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup as confirmation that the Boks were incapable of spreading the ball beyond Faf de Klerk’s left boot, which meant they were caught napping when our wings scored two tries to win the final.

A classic case of confirmation bias is when you buy a new car. Let’s say you’ve bought a new Fiat 500c. In the first week or two, you see Fiat 500cs everywhere. You give yourself a pat on the back, since your decision to buy a small Italian car built on a Friday afternoon in a Mexican automotive plant has been confirmed. Just look at all the other people who also bought one! In reality, the 500c is one of the worst-selling cars on our roads. You’ve just seen the one or two red roses in a field filled with thousands of white daisies.