Zero-sum bias: definition, examples and practical tips

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A customer who goes to the competitor's store will not become a customer of yours, right? This is a typical example of the zero-sum bias. Residential stores, however, have discovered that this way of thinking is not always advantageous, and choose to be located close to each other. In this article, we take a closer look at how the zero-sum bias arises and can lead to limited strategic thinking and how it can reduce opportunities for collaboration and market expansion. Learn how, as an entrepreneur, you can take advantage of the very benefits of this fallacy.

What is the zero-sum bias?
With zero-sum bias, we tend to assume that one person's gain thailand telephone number is accompanied by another person's loss, when that is not the case at all (Meegan, 2010).

The zero-sum bias is a cognitive error that happens intuitively. Thus, with the zero-sum bias, we think we are dealing with a zero-sum situation when in reality we are not. This can lead to false accusations and poor decisions. We think that someone else must lose in order for you to win, because there are only a limited number of goods and resources in the world (Rozycka-Tran, Boski & Wojciszke, 2015).



The zero-sum bias can lead to the idea that someone has to lose before you can win. As a result, you become combative and competitive. This can get in the way of your success because you would rather burn bridges than connect with others to succeed together. Many entrepreneurs suffer from this because they fear that working together means less success for themselves.