Self-Serving Bias

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, Self-Serving Bias has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Stuff You Should Know (Feb 2026). Mentioned as a bias where people attribute positive events to their own character but negative events to external factors.

A self-serving bias is any cognitive or perceptual process that is distorted by the need to maintain and enhance self-esteem, or the tendency to perceive oneself in an overly favorable manner. It is the belief that individuals tend to ascribe success to their own abilities and efforts, but ascribe failure to external factors. When individuals reject the validity of negative feedback, focus on their strengths and achievements but overlook their faults and failures, or take more credit for their g