The Illusion of Control — Why You Think You Have More Power Than You Do

Today, we're exploring a captivating psychological phenomenon known as the Illusion of Control. This fascinating mental bias explains why you might feel in command of situations that, in reality, are far beyond your influence. It’s why people whisper good luck charms at the casino, believe they can predict the unpredictable, or feel responsible for random outcomes.

Have you ever rolled the dice and believed your careful toss could influence the numbers you got? Or perhaps you've chosen your lucky numbers in the lottery, feeling a special connection that might just sway the odds. Maybe you wear your favorite sports jersey during crucial games, believing your action could somehow lead your team to victory. All these behaviors are common examples of the Illusion of Control, a powerful psychological bias first identified by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer in 1975.

Dr. Langer’s groundbreaking experiments demonstrated that people often behave as if they have control over purely chance-based events.