Coaching practices for What Data Am I Ignoring
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For What Data Am I Ignoring, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- I’m sure about my read on this, but I only ever notice the things that confirm what I already think
- I keep avoiding the same kinds of tasks over and over but I have no idea what actually sets it off
- "She was being dismissive" feels like a plain fact to me, exactly as solid as "she left the meeting early"
- I genuinely feel like I barely touch my phone, but my days keep evaporating and I’ve got nothing to show for them
- My conclusion only makes sense because of a bunch of things I’m silently taking for granted about people and how the world works
Practices that may help
- Notice which data you selected — and which you ignored
Your conclusions are built on a sample of the available data — ask what the sample excluded.
The Ladder of Inference - Track procrastination episodes to identify patterns, not to judge yourself
Data on your own procrastination is more useful than guilt about it.
Self-Forgiveness and Procrastination - Distinguish observable data from interpretation
Separate what a camera would record from what you made of it.
The Ladder of Inference - Audit where your attention goes each day
Track how you actually spend attention across a workday — the data almost always reveals a large gap between intention and reality.
The Attention Economy: Reclaiming Your Focus from Systems Designed to Capture It - Base-Rate Neglect: Why We Ignore the Odds
Base-rate neglect is the tendency to underweight or ignore prior probabilities (how often things happen in general) when vivid, specific information is available. Identified by Kahneman and Tversky, it is one of the most robustly replicated biases in judgment research, and it leads to systematic overconfidence in predictions about specific cases. Correcting it requires actively looking up or estimating base rates before evaluating individual information. - Surface and examine the assumptions you are making
Name the assumptions filling the gap between the data you selected and the interpretation you reached.
The Ladder of Inference - Ask the base rate before evaluating the specific case
Before judging any individual instance, first establish how often this kind of thing happens in general.
Base-Rate Neglect: Why We Ignore the Odds - Analyze your log for patterns and surprises
After logging, find the two or three surprising facts — not the obvious ones.
The Time Audit - Periodically compare self-ratings with objective data
People systematically miscalibrate self-monitoring — periodic objective checks correct the drift.
Self-Monitoring, Made Practical - Actively notice positive partner behavior
Scan for what your partner does right, not just what they don’t do.
Positive Sentiment Override: How to Build the Lens That Protects Relationships
Related concerns
- Availability Bias Examples
Estimate what you’d accept under comparable known-odds risk — if your bar is much higher for unknown odds, that gap is the bias.
Check whether you’re demanding an unfair ambiguity premium
- Base Rate Neglect Why We Ignore The Odds With My Partner
Base-rate neglect is the tendency to underweight or ignore prior probabilities (how often things happen in general) when vivid, specific information is available. Identified by Kahneman and Tversky, it is one of the most robustly replicated biases in judgment research, and it leads to systematic overconfidence in predictions about specific cases. Correcting it requires actively looking up or estimating base rates before evaluating individual information.
- Inference Vs Observation
Chris Argyris's ladder of inference describes the rapid, largely invisible mental journey from raw observable data to a firmly held belief and action — selecting data, interpreting it, making assumptions, drawing conclusions, and acting, often in seconds. The practice is to slow this climb and check each rung, especially in high-stakes situations where conclusions feel certain but may be built on shaky selections and assumptions.
- Ladder Of Inference Assumptions
Chris Argyris's ladder of inference describes the rapid, largely invisible mental journey from raw observable data to a firmly held belief and action — selecting data, interpreting it, making assumptions, drawing conclusions, and acting, often in seconds. The practice is to slow this climb and check each rung, especially in high-stakes situations where conclusions feel certain but may be built on shaky selections and assumptions.
- Ladder Of Inference Conflict
In conflict, stop arguing about conclusions and descend together to the data level.
Walk down the ladder together in disagreements
- Observation Vs Inference
Name the assumptions filling the gap between the data you selected and the interpretation you reached.
Surface and examine the assumptions you are making
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