Why we always look for a scapegoat and blame any illness on stress

Let's say you have a toothache. First of all, you will think that lately you have eaten too much sweets, which is why tooth decay has appeared. But other factors also cause dental problems: improper oral hygiene (or lack thereof), the structure of the teeth, the amount of saliva, and the general condition of the body. Explaining such a phenomenon as one thing, you fall into the trap of a single reason. Let's figure out why this is happening.

It seems to us that any event has a basic premise

In reality, this does not happen. Events are influenced by a whole range of reasons. Nevertheless, we tend to oversimplify: factor X preceded event Y, which means that this is its only cause. Although in fact, factors A, B and C also contributed to Y.

Like other cognitive biases, the single reason trap makes life easier for us. The brain identifies one cause that we can somehow control, and focuses on it. The rest of the factors are recognized as unimportant or completely ignored.

After the failure of our joint venture, we are looking for one culprit. After some tragedy - one reason that will explain everything. If we feel bad physically or emotionally, we attribute it to stress. If we notice health problems, we blame poor nutrition and start taking vitamins.

Each event has many reasons, and the responsibility for the consequences falls on many people, whose decisions led to a certain ending.

The media often reinforces this cognitive bias in us. "What is the cause of the economic crisis?", "What caused this conflict?" - we hear such statements all the time. And they all suggest that the events can be explained in one simple phrase.

And this does not allow us to understand the problem

Having chosen such a simplified explanation, we are not analyzing the problem completely, we are not looking for complex solutions. For example, after cases of shootings in schools, journalists usually argue about what prompted the shooter to act: the situation in the family, violent computer games, the stress of school, the availability of firearms, or something else. Although it is more likely that several of these reasons have coalesced at once.

Such thinking leads to a variety of misunderstandings and conflicts, errors in medicine and education. For example, many say that the main cause of childhood obesity is fast food. And if you forbid children to eat it, the problem will be solved.

But in fact, this only partially explains the situation.

Politicians exploit this cognitive bias by attributing complex societal problems to taxes and corporations, the rich and the poor, sexual minorities and immigrants, believers and atheists. However, the problems of society are too complex to be explained by a single cause. Many components and interactions between them contribute.

But the trap can be fought

Remind yourself of this thinking mistake. When deciding what led to an event, do not oversimplify the reasons.
List all possible factors. Let one or two of them influence the result more strongly, but this does not mean that they are the only ones.
When something unpleasant happens, do not rush to blame someone for what happened. Evaluate other prerequisites for the event, think about the current situation comprehensively.

Addictions, cancer, mental illness and autism, global warming and the economic crisis are all too complex phenomena to be cited for only one reason in an attempt to understand them. Look wider, look for other prerequisites to get the whole picture out of them. And don't forget to remind others of this. Perhaps there will be a little less senseless arguments.