About the book, "Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment"

Have you ever experienced two people giving completely different decisions for the same situation? Like duha ka doktor nga lahi ug diagnosis, or duha ka judges nga naghatag ug lahi-lahi nga sentensya for the same crime? That’s exactly what the book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein talks about. It introduces a hidden problem that affects almost every aspect of decision-making: noise.

Ang bias ug noise kay lahi. Bias is when you make the same mistake over and over—consistent siya nga sayop. Noise, on the other hand, is random and unpredictable. Sa Bisaya pa, walay klaro nga desisyon. Two people, same training, same goal—but very different outcomes. That’s noise. And we often don’t see it.

The authors gave real-world examples, like when they conducted a noise audit sa usa ka insurance company. Employees were asked to review identical cases—but their assessments were far from the same. The bosses thought everyone would decide almost alike. Pero wala nila damha nga grabe ka dako ang difference. That’s how invisible and dangerous noise can be.

Daghang sources sa noise—your mood, gutom ba ka, kapoy ka, or even kung ulan ba or init. These small things, bisag ginagmay ra, can cause big changes in how we judge. Imagine making a life-changing decision while irritated or tired. Di ba lahi ra gyud ang resulta kung okay imong paminaw?

Thankfully, the book doesn’t just point fingers. It also gives solutions. They introduce the idea of “decision hygiene”—like cleaning your mental process before making judgments. This means using checklists, structured steps, and sometimes even simple algorithms. Parehas sa mga doktor nga naay standard procedure, dapat sad unta ang professionals lahi-lahi ug role but parehas ug basehan sa decision.

One of the most interesting insights is this: algorithms often make more consistent decisions than humans. Not because they're smarter, but because they don’t get emotional or distracted. They don’t have moods. While humans are creative and insightful, we’re also prone to inconsistency. Mao na nga useful kaayo kung naa tay structured tools to guide us.

The authors also bring up the moral side of noise. If someone’s future depends on randomness—like kung mo-pass ba siya sa interview or ma-approve ba iyang loan—dili ba unfair nga naka-depend lang sa mood sa nagbuot? That’s why they say noise isn’t just a technical issue. It’s a fairness issue. And something we all need to care about.

Writing-wise, the book is well-balanced. Dili siya bug-at sabton. Kahneman brings his behavioral science expertise, while Sibony and Sunstein add practical and legal insights. Authors said that if we've read Thinking, Fast and Slow, this feels like a more focused continuation. It opens your eyes not just to errors—but to inconsistency you didn’t know was there.

Noise is a must-read, especially if you make decisions that affect others—like teachers, HR staff, managers, doctors, or leaders. It teaches us that making the right decision is not enough. It also needs to be fair and consistent. Kay kung ang decision mo-depend lang sa unsay feel nato that day, then unsaon nato pag-ingon nga fair siya?

In the end, Noise is not just a book—it’s a reminder. A reminder nga we’re not as accurate as we think, and that by becoming more aware, we can be more just, more objective, and more mindful of how we decide.