Why We Keep Going Even When We Should Stop
Why do people support their past ideas, even when presented with evidence that they’re wrong?
Imagine you invest $10,000 in a stock.
A year later, the business is clearly deteriorating.
But instead of selling, you think:
“I’ve already committed to this company. I can’t change my mind now.”
That is commitment bias—our tendency to stick with a previous decision because we want to remain consistent with what we already chose, said, or believed.
The more publicly or emotionally committed we become, the harder it can be to reverse course.
Why?
Because changing direction can feel like admitting:
“I was wrong.”
Commitment bias is closely related to the sunk cost fallacy, but they are not exactly the same.
The sunk cost fallacy says:
“I’ve already invested too much money, time, or effort to quit now.”
Commitment bias says:
“I’ve already taken this position, so I should stay consistent with it.”
For example, an investor might refuse to sell because they have already lost $50 per share—that’s sunk cost thinking.
But if they keep defending the stock because they publicly called it a great investment and don’t want to admit they were wrong, that’s commitment bias.
Commitment bias can therefore exist even without a large financial loss. Ego, reputation, identity, and the desire to appear consistent can all keep us attached to a bad decision.
The lesson
Ask yourself:
“Knowing what I know today, would I make the same decision again?”
If the answer is no, consistency may no longer be a virtue.
Sometimes changing your mind isn’t failure.
It is simply a better decision made with better information.
